Hiccup Haddock and the Philosopher's Stone
by Optimus524
Summary: Hiccup Haddock thinks he is an ordinary boy until he finds out about the truth about his parents, He's taken to Berk's Dragon Academy and learns to play Dragon Racing and does battle in a deadly duel. The reason? Hiccup Haddock is a Viking.
1. The Boy Who Lived

**I got the idea to write this story from readying UnderTheWillowTrees's Hiccup Haddock and the Dragon's Blood Stone and decided to make my own version.**

**This world will not be a carbon copy of the Harry Potter books and will have a more Viking like feel to it.**

* * *

It was a dark night in Privet Drive. No one was seen out and there were no lights at all apart from those from lampposts.

Then someone walked out of the shadows. He was big, muscular and very old, judging by his massive long white beard. He was wearing, a dark green tunic and trousers, brown boots, on his head he had a helmet with two horns sticking out of it on either side, and a furred cape, that was hooked on to two shoulders pads he had on his shoulders. The thing that stood out most of all was that instead of a right hand, he had an axe with a bright red crystal in the centre of it. He was known to all as Heyral the Wise.

Heyral didn't seem to care that he stood out like a saw thumb. He was too busy looking for something in his trouser pocket. It took a few seconds, but he finally found what he was looking for.

It looked like a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He did it twelve times, until the only lights left in the whole were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, they belonged to a cat that just sat there watching him. Now if anyone looked out of their window now they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement.

Heyral looked at the cat sitting there watching him. He then began to put the strange device back into his trouser pocket and said to the cat, "I should have known you'd be here, Phlegma the Fierce."

Then the cat transformed into a woman that looked as she could scare anyone out of their skin. She was also wearing clothing simpler to Heyral, only she was wearing more armour as if someone was going to attack them.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked.

"My dear Phlegma, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."

"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Phlegma as she rubbed her behind.

"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feats and parties on my way here."

"I know we have had little to celebrate in over ten years," said Phlegma irritably. "But we need to keep Muggles in the dark about our world. Even if the Dragon Lord has disappeared. He is gone isn't he, Heyral?"

"It would seem so," said Heyral.

"Even still if the Dragon Lord has gone—"

"My dear Phlegma, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? After all you and Drago Bludvist were at school together."

Phlegma flinched at the name, but quickly composed herself.

"I didn't even like him back then," She muttered.

"He's the only person that I've ever seen you flinch at," Heyral noted. "I myself have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Drago Bludvist's name."

"That's because you're the only Viking that Dragon… oh, all right, Drago Bludvist's was frightened of."

"You flatter me," Heyral said calmly. "Drago had powers I will never have."

"Only because you're too… well… noble to use them."

"Maybe so, but its fact," said Heyral calmly.

"I've heard rumours about what finally stopped them. Are they true?" She asked.

Heyral realised that this was the part of their conversation that she was hoping to reach and it would seem that she was not going to believe it until it came from his lips. He didn't say a word and bowed his head.

Phlegma gasped and tears began to run down her cheeks. "Valka and Stoick… I can't believe it… my best friend gone."

Heyral placed his single hand on her shoulder. "I know… I know," He said heavily. "Stoick was a great leader and I had hoped that he could take over from me some day."

Phlegma looked up at him brushing the tears off her face. "That's not all I heard. I heard that he tried to kill their son, Hiccup. But… he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Hiccup Haddock, Drago's power somehow broke… and they's way he's gone."

Heyral just nodded glumly.

"I-it's true," said Phlegma staring at him with wide eyes. "But that's impossible. After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill one little boy? How?"

"A very good question," said Heyral. "And one we might never know."

He then pulled out a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was very old watch. It had twelve hands and no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It most made sense to Heyral, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Gobber's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"

"Yes," said Phlegma. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I've come to bring Hiccup to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."

"You can't seriously be thinking of leave him here," said Phlegma pointing at the house with the number four on it. "Valka told me about her sister a thousand times and after watching all day I believe her. Her husband is even worse and don't get me started on their son, he keep on kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. They're the worst kind of Muggles imaginable."

"It's the best place for him," said Heyral firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's ready. I've written them a letter."

"You can't be serious," said Phlegma facepalming herself, not believe what she was hearing. "They'll never understand him. He'll be famous—a legend—I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Hiccup Haddock Day in the future—there will be books written about Hiccup—every child in our world will know his name! I'd be will to bet that they'll lie to him about his heritage."

"Exactly," said Heyral looking very serious. "It would be enough the turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk or talk! Famous for something he'd won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready?"

Phlegma thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I suppose your right, as usual. But how's the boy getting here anyway?"

"Gobber's bring him."

"You shore that's a good idea?" She asked. "I main Gobber is a bit clumsy sometimes."

"I'd trust Gobber with my life," said Heyral.

Then suddenly they heard a low flapping noise. They looked up and saw flying down towards them was a dragon.

The dragon looked like a large lump with brown scales. Its wings were smallest parts of its body and had a mace like tail. It also looked like it was sleeping, how it knew to land was anyone's guess, it landed it just toppled over and snored as it slept. On its back it had a saddle with someone very large on it.

The dragon was noting compared to the man that climbed off of it. He was about seven feet tall madman with a bold head and had a blond rope like moustache, but the thing that stood out about him was that he had a pegged leg instead for a right leg, his left hand was missing and was replaced with a mace (that looked a lot like his dragon's tail) and had a metal tooth replacing his missing one. He was wearing the same medieval clothing that the others were wearing only more torn and charred and his helmet was fitted with a visor. In his muscular arm he was holding a bundle of blankets.

He pulled his visor up and looked at the two people in front of him. "Heyral, Phlegma," He greeted.

"Gobber, no problems, I hope?" Heyral asked.

"Alvin and I had a bit of problems getting him out of the house… it was almost destroyed. We looked got him out before the Muggles started swarming. We had a quick look around, but no sigh of the Dragon Lord's body or their dragons," Gobber explained.

"Troubling news," said Heyral in a worried tone.

"Any who, Alvin got their bodies out for the funeral," Gobber continued. "The little tyke fell asleep just as we flew over Bristol."

Heyral and Phlegma bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a small baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of auburn hairy over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

"Is that where—?" whispered Phlegma.

"Yes," said Heyral. "He'll have that scar for ever."

"Couldn't you do anything about, Heyral?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scares can come in useful," He said. He then looked at Phlegma and almost chuckled. "Besides having a scar is a Viking badge of honour. Well… give him here, Gobber… we'd better get this over with."

Heyral took Hiccup in his arms and turned towards the house with the number four on it. He then placed him, gently, on the door step. Gobber sniffed and looked as if he was about to cry.

Heyral looked up at him and said, "There, there, Gobber. It's not really goodbye, you'll be seeing him again."

"It's just leaving poor little Hiccup here and seeing the bodies of two of my best friends," said Gobber wiping his eyes with his one hand.

"I know how you feel Gobber, I really do," said Phlegma placing a hand over his arm. "But we'll meet him again in ten years."

Then she and Gobber walked off, leaving Heyral with the baby Hiccup. He bent down towards the Hiccup and tucked the letter he made into Hiccup's blanket.

"Good luck, Hiccup Haddock," He said and walked off into the night the lights in the street lamps reappearing.

Hiccup Haddock just slept quietly, not knowing on what will happen to him in the future.


	2. The Vanishing Glass

**I would like to say I will continue with my Dragon Chronical series, but I have to wait until it comes out online with good quality and no matter how much you beg me it won't make me update faster.**

* * *

Ten years had passed since Hiccup was left on the doorstep of the Dalssons and it was a miserable ten years. He was forced to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs by his horrible aunt and uncle and got picked on by their son constantly.

He was having a peaceful sleep until he heard someone banging on the door.

"Up! Get up! Now!" The voice of a woman yelled.

It belonged to his Aunt Runa. She was a thin woman with blonde hair and a neck that was twice as long as anyone else. She enjoyed spying on everyone that she meet and tried to know about everyone's dark secret.

"Alright I'm up, up!" yelled Hiccup.

"Good, because I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you burn anything; I want everything perfect on Olaf's birthday."

"Wonderful," Hiccup groaned.

How could he forget his horrible cousin Olaf's birthday? It was one of his least favourite days, not that he had any good ones unless you count the one when Olaf tripped over his shoelaces and fell head first into the pile of dog poo. He laughed so hard that day, until his Uncle Magnus pulled him by the ear and locked him in his cupboard for a day without dinner.

Slowly Hiccup got out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Hiccup was no stranger to this, he did this every day.

When he finally entered the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was the mountain of birthday presents that belonged to Olaf. Hiccup ever understood why he had so many, since he never played with over half of them. No doubt that more than half of them will find themselves in Olaf's second bedroom.

He noticed that his Uncle Magnus was already at the table reading a newspaper. His uncle was a big, beefy man with hardly a neck, although he did have a very large grey moustache.

His uncle looked up from his paper and noticed Hiccup for the first time. "About time," he barked.

The next moment, he was slammed by a pig wearing a blonde wig. The pig in question was his _wonderful_ cousin Olaf, or at least that what his aunt and uncle said. They would always say, "he was like Thor himself," Hiccup always stay far away from them afraid that lightening stuck them. Olaf looked a lot like Uncle Magnus, only with blonde hair and watery blue eyes.

Even though everyone in Europe are descended from Viking and that they use Viking names, and their gods, they don't use the word Viking anymore.

Hiccup in the other hand was always small and scrawny for his age. He was even more so because he was forced to wear Olaf's old cloths that were four times bigger than him. Hiccup face was covered in fleckless; he also had scraggy auburn hair that parted to his right and emerald green eyes. The only thing that looked about his appearance was thin lighting sharp scar on his forehead; though sometimes to him it was an eyesore. He had that thing as long as he could remember and whenever he asked his aunt and uncle how he got it.

"In the car crash when your parents died," they say. "And don't ask questions."

Hiccup spent most of his life trying to find the answer to his questions, but with only their names Stoick and Valka he had little success. When he tried to remember them all he got was a flash of green fire and a burning pain in his forehead. But he knew someday he'll find the answers to his questions and who he is.

That wasn't the only strange thing about him. Sometimes he could meet very strange people, some with missing limbs and scares, that would either bow, wave at him and even shake his hand

When he finally got up to his feet, he walked over the saucepan and began to fry the eggs. Once he was done, he placed the plates of eggs and bacon on the table, which was almost impossible as there wasn't much room. Olaf, meanwhile, was counting his presents, which was proving difficult for him.

His face then fell; he looked up at his mother and father, and said, "Thirty six. That's one less than last year!"

"Well, some of them are bigger than last year," said Uncle Magnus trying to calm him down.

"I don't care how big they are!" he yelled.

Aunt Runa obviously scented danger, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you two more presents when we get to the Zoo today. How's that popkin?"

Olaf tried to do the math and it would seem that it was just as hard as counting the presents he got. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…"

"Thirty eight," said Hiccup rolling his eyes.

* * *

Half an hour later, Hiccup couldn't believe his luck. Normally he would stay at Mrs Figg's house, his baby sitter, but she had broken her leg. So, the Dalssons were forced to take him to the zoo, despite Olaf's tantrums.

But before he could enter the car, his Uncle Magnus stopped him and glared at him.

"I'm warning you," he said, pointing a finger at him. "Any funny business, anything at all and you'll be in that cupboard for a week."

Everywhere he went with them; he could get this talk and some reason he seems to get blamed for everything that seemed to go wrong even if he wasn't involved.

Like the time when Olaf's gang chased him through the school and suddenly a fire started nearby starting the fire bell. He was placed in the cupboard for three days, even though he explained he had nothing to do with it.

Another time when he was having his bath, Olaf thought it was funny to have it full of cold water, but for some reason the water began to boil and felt nice and warm. He tried to explain to his aunt and uncle that Olaf must have used the hot tap by accident, but like always he was locked in his cupboard for something he couldn't possibly do.

* * *

On the all, he wasn't having a bad day out; he certain enjoyed this day than the any other of Olaf's birthdays.

After lunch they entered the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone.

They soon looked at the biggest snake in the place, a boa constrictor. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Magnus' car and crush it into a dust bin, but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

"Make it move," Olaf' ordered his father.

"Move!" yelled Uncle Magnus, banging on the glass.

"Move!" shouted Olaf, banging on the glass even harder.

"He's asleep!" yelled Hiccup, in annoyance.

"He's boring," Olaf moaned. He shuffled away alone with Aunt Runa and Uncle Magnus.

"Sorry about him," said Hiccup looking at the boa constrictor. "He doesn't understand what it's like, lying there day after day. Watching people place their ugly faces in on you and I bet his face is uglier than anyone else you had to deal with."

The snake jerked its head at him. It gave Hiccup a look that said quite plainly: _"I couldn't agree with you more."_

Hiccup just stared at it not believing what he was seeing. "Can you hear me?" He asked shocked.

The snake just nodded its head.

"It's just… I've never talk to a snake before," said Hiccup still not believing he was having a conversation with a snake. "There again, you're probably better company than them." He gestured to the Dalsson.

The snake gave him another look that said: _"I feel your pain."_

"Where do you come from, anyway?" Hiccup asked.

The snake jabbed its head at the little sign next to the glass. Hiccup peered at it.

_Boa Constrictor, Brazil_.

"Was it nice there? Do you miss your family?"

The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Hiccup read on: _this specimen was bred in the captivity_. "Oh, I see… guess you and me have something in common, I never knew by parents as ever."

"MUMMY, DAD, COME HERE!" Olaf yelled as he ran towards boa constrictor's tank and shoved Hiccup to the floor. "YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT THIS SNAKE IS DOING."

Hiccup looked up at Olaf, who was leaning against the glass, and glared angrily at him. What happened next came a bit of surprise. The glass that Olaf was leaning on vanished.

Olaf lost his balance and fell into the boa constrictor's tank, getting covered in muddy pound that was in it. Hiccup couldn't help but smirk.

Then the snake began to slither its way out passing Olaf and landed on the floor. It then looked at Hiccup and said in hissing voice. "Thanksss."

"Uh, anytime," Hiccup stunned that the snake was talking to him.

The snake then slither outside, making people scream as it did.

Olaf got himself up and began to get himself out of the tank. Only to his horror to find that the glass had reappeared trapping him inside.

Aunt Runa and Uncle Magnus walked to find their son was trapped in the snake tank. Aunt Runa screamed the moment she saw him and began to slam her hand on the glass trying to break it.

Hiccup could help, but laugh at the sight. He stopped when Uncle Magnus glared at him. He had a feeling that he was going to get blamed for this.

* * *

Turns out that he was right, after they got back and Aunt Runa took Olaf, who was wrapped in blanket, to his room. Uncle Magnus pulled on Hiccup's hair towards his cupboard.

"What happened?!" He baked.

"I swear I don't know!" yelled Hiccup, trying to free himself from Uncle Magnus' grip. "One minute the glass was there and it was gone. It was like magic!"

Uncle Magnus then shoved him into his cupboard. "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MAGIC!" he yelled before slamming the door shut leaving him in darkness.


	3. The Letters From No One

**I would like to note that the plot link belongs to J.k Rowling, while some of the characters belong to How To Train Your Dragon.**

* * *

The summer holidays had started the time Hiccup was allowed out of his cupboard.

Hiccup was glad school was over, but there was no escape from Olaf's gang, who visited the house every single day. Olaf's gang was made up with the biggest and stupidest boys at school, but as their leader Olaf's was the biggest and stupidest of them all, he was the leader. They liked to join Olaf's favourite sport: Hiccup-hunting. Though even if they found him they couldn't catch him, he may not look it, but he was the fast boy in their class.

So, Hiccup spent most his time in the local library knowing that it would be the one place they won't enter. Also he knew it was the best place to find answers, but all his leads reached a dead end.

Also he found a small ray of hope in his life. When September came he would be going to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Olaf. Olaf was going to Uncle Magnus' old school, Smelting. Most of his gang were going there as well; Hiccup on the other hand was going to Stonewall High, the local comprehensive. Olaf thought it was very funny.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall," he told Hiccup.

"Speaking from experiences are we?" Hiccup asked with his arms crossed.

Olaf looked at him confused, not getting his joke. "What do you mean I've never been to Stonewall?" he said and shook his head. "Anyway, want to come upstairs and practise?"

"No thanks," said Hiccup. "The poor toilet's never had anything as horrible as your head down it… you could give indigestion." Then he ran, before Olaf could work out what he'd said.

One day in July, Aunt Runa had took Olaf to London to buy his Smelting uniform and later that same evening, Olaf was paraded around the living-room for the family in his brand-new uniform like he was in a parade.

Smelting boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobby sticks, used for hitting each other while teachers weren't look, why they had them was a complete mystery to Hiccup. Though it was no surprise to him that Olaf liked to hit him with the stick.

As he looked at Olaf in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Magnus said that it was the proudest moment in his life. Aunt Runa burst into tears and said that she couldn't believe that it was her Ickle Olafkins, he looked so handsome and grown-up and took a picture of him with her iPhone. Hiccup kept thing that she was short sighted, because in his opinion Olaf looked ridicules and had a tough time from laughing his head off.

* * *

The next morning Hiccup noticed something horrible smelling in the kitchen next morning when he went in for breakfast. It came from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.

"What's this?" he asked Aunt Runa. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.

Hiccup looked in the bowl again.

"Oh, I didn't realise it had to be so wet," he joked.

"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Runa, not getting his sarcasm. "I'm dying some of Olaf's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I'm finished."

"More like look like bits of old elephant skin," muttered Hiccup under his breath as he sat down at the table.

Olaf and Uncle Magus came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell of Hiccup's new uniform. Uncle Magnus opened his newspaper as usual and Olaf banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, much to Hiccup's dismay, on the table.

They then heard a click from the letter-box and the flopping of letters on the doormat.

"Get the post, Olaf," said Uncle Magnus from behind his paper.

"Make Hiccup get it."

"Get the post, Hiccup."

"Make Olaf get it."

"Poke him with your Smelting's stick, Olaf."

Hiccup quickly dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the post.

Three things laid on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle's Magnus sister Helga, who was holidaying on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and a letter for Hiccup.

Hiccup was about to return to the kitchen, but stopped when he realised that there was a letter for him.

He quickly pulled it out and looked, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives and he always returned the books he borrowed to the library so he never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake.

_Mr H. Horrendous Haddock III_

_The Cupboard under the Stairs_

_4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

Whoever sent knew his full name, and he never told anyone his full name, and that he lived in a cupboard under the stairs. He looked around trying spot if there were any secret cameras around. He noted that the letter was quite thick, meaning that however sent him it had a lot to say.

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald green, like his eyes, link. There was no stamp.

He turned the envelope over, his hand trembling like it could explode at any, Hiccup saw a purple was seal bearing a coat of arms: of what looked like four dragons, one was red with four curved horns, a blue bird like dragon with lot of spikes, a yellow lump of a dragon and one with two snake like heads surrounding a large letter 'B'.

"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Magnus from the Kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter-bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.

"It certainly feels like one," said Hiccup to himself, before returning to the kitchen, still staring at his letter.

When he entered he handed Uncle Magnus the bill and the postcard, sat down and slowly began to open it the yellow envelope.

"Helga's ill," he informed Aunt Runa." Ate a funny whelk…"

"Dad!" said Olaf suddenly. "Dad, Hiccup's got something!"

Hiccup was at the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Magnus.

"That mine!" yelled Hiccup trying to snatch it back.

"Who'd be writing to you?" said Uncle Magnus sneering, shaking the letter open with one hand.

"A secret admirer," Hiccup shrugged.

"The only way you could ever get a girlfriend is if you could use magic," said Olaf smirking.

For some reason that comment of Olaf, seemed to have made both his aunt and uncle nervous.

When Uncle Magnus glanced at the letter, his face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.

"R-R-Runa!" he gasped.

Olaf tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Magnus held it high out of his reach. Aunt Runa took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.

"Magnus! Oh my goodness… Magnus!"

Whatever was in that letter seemed to freak the both them out and Hiccup had a feeling that they haven't told him the truth about himself. It was at that point he knew that the letter in his Uncle Magnus hand held the answers that he longed for.

"I want to read that letter," said Olaf loudly after he wacked his father with his Smelting stick.

"I want to read it," said Hiccup furiously, "as it's mine."

"Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Magnus, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.

Hiccup just stood firm not moving. Hiccup rarely got any at anyone, but when he did you didn't want to around him.

"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.

"Let me see it!" demanded Olaf.

"OUT!" roared Uncle Magnus and he took both Hiccup and Olaf by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them.

Hiccup and Olaf promptly had a furious but silent fight over whom listen at the keyhole; unsurprisingly Olaf won, so Hiccup had to lie on his stomach to listen at the crack between the door and the floor.

"Magnus," Aunt Runa was saying in quivering voice, "look at the address… how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"

"It would seem that way," said Uncle Magnus wildly. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're watching us now."

"But what should we do, Magnus?" Should we write back? Tell them we don't want—"

"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore them. If they don't get an answer… they might give up."

"But when Val- I mean my sister got one my parents thought it was joke," said Rune in a worried tone, "they just kept coming."

"I don't care! I'm not having one in the house, Runa! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"

Hiccup just laid there even more confused than before with all these new questions. What was dangerous? Who were these people that sent him the letter? And what did his mother have to do with it?

* * *

Later that evening Hiccup was in his cupboard reading a book. Then something strange happened, Uncle Magnus visited him in his cupboard.

Hiccup placed the book he was reading down, and looked up at his uncle, and asked, "Where's my letter? Who's writing to me?"

"No one. It was addressed to you by mistake. So I burnt it," said Uncle Magnus shortly.

Hiccup knew this was a lie. A: it had his cupboard on it, B: there was no stamp on it and C: both he and Olaf overheard his aunt and uncle's conversion. He decided not to mention this since he knew what the answer could be.

"So, why are you here?" Hiccup asked curiously.

"I, uh… both me and your aunt thought that… you're really getting a bit big for it… we think it might be nice if you moved into Olaf's second bedroom."

"Why? He asked knowing the reason why.

"Don't ask questions!" he snapped. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."

The Dalssons house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Magnus and Aunt Runa, one for visitors (usually Uncle Magnus sister, Helga), one where Olaf slept and one where Olaf kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It didn't take long for Hiccup to get upstairs with his things. When he entered the room he noticed that everything was broken, except for the books on the shelves that were the only things that were untouched by human hands and wondered why Olaf kept this stuff if he was going to use them.

Downstairs he heard Olaf's voice yelling at his mother: "I don't want him in there… I need that room… make him get out—"

Hiccup rolled his eyes and shut the door. He then went to the bed and laid on the bed in deep thought. He knew why they put him here and he had a feeling that this won't be the last time he's get a letter.

* * *

Next morning proved him right, when the post came Uncle Magnus got Olaf to get it, who was doing everything in his power to get his room back to no avail.

Then he shouted, "There's six letters! _Mr H. Horrendous Haddock III, The smallest bedroom, 4 Privet Drive_—"

Next moment Hiccup, Olaf and Uncle Magnus began to fight over the letters for over a minute. However Uncle Magnus became the victor and sent both Hiccup and Olaf to their rooms after burning the letters.

* * *

Next day morning, Hiccup came down early hoping to get a letter, but saw Uncle Magnus was one step ahead of him. He was boarding up the letter box house preventing any letters to get past the door.

"No letter going through this into this house," said Uncle Magnus with nails in his mouth.

"I didn't know dare, these people are a stubborn lot," said Aunt Runa, "They won't give up."

"Oh, but these people don't think like us, Runa, they're not like you and me."

But the letters still came, in a most unusual. When the milkman came around and gave Aunt Runa a dozen eggs through the living-room window, she found twelve letters hidden inside them.

Hiccup and Olaf were sitting at the table while they watched as Uncle Magnus made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy and Aunt Runa as she shredding the letters in her food mixer.

"Who on Earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Olaf asked Hiccup in amazement.

"I don't know," said Hiccup smirking and placed his hands behind his head. "But I'm certainly enjoying this."

* * *

The next day, Uncle Magnus sat down on his chair looking tired and rather ill, but happy.

"Finally, Sunday," he said giving a huge sigh of relief, "in my opinion best day of the week. Why is that, Olaf?"

Olaf, who was playing on his new Nintendo 3Ds, just shrugged.

"Because there's no post on Sundays," said Hiccup, who was holding a tray on biscuits.

"Right you are, Hiccup," said Uncle Magnus, taking on of the biscuits, "no post on Sundays, ha!"

As he rattled on about no post on Sundays, Hiccup saw something fly past the window. He placed the tray down and walked up to the window; he pulled the draperies aside and the sight outside made his eyes widen.

Outside, perched around the front garden, were hundreds of funny looking birds with different coloured feathers. He looked more closely at them and thought he saw their feathers disappear reviling scales. He also thought he saw one of them horns on its head and another spitting a spark of fire.

"No, sir, no blasted letter—"

He was interrupted by a flying letter that flew straight out living-room chimney and caught him sharply on the nose. Next moment, thousands of letters zoomed out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dalsson ducked for cover, but Hiccup leapt into the air trying to grab one.

"Out! OUT!" yelled Uncle Magnus.

He grabbed Hiccup around the waist and threw him into the hallway. When Aunt Runa and Olaf had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Magnus slammed the door shut. At that moment the wooden plank blocking the letter box snapped and hundreds of letters bust through.

"That's it we're going away!" He yelled holding Hiccup back. "Far away! Where they can't find us!"

"Daddy's gone mad hasn't he?" said Olaf looking at his mother.

Aunt Runa just looked at the scene in front of her with tired look on her face.


	4. The Forge Master

Two days later, the day before Hiccup's eleventh birthday, and after driving for a long time, they had reached a large rock out at sea in a middle of a raging storm. Perched on top of said rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine.

Uncle Magnus chose this place because there was no way on Earth that anyone could reach them to post a letter. Hiccup had to agree, you had to mad to try to reach this place during a raging storm to post a letter.

During their journey, Uncle Magnus had stopped at a store. He entered in it and came back with a long, thin package. No one asked what he bought in his state of mind.

Anyway the sleeping arrangements were exactly what Hiccup excepted them to be like. Uncle Magnus and Aunt Runa slept on the lumpy bed on the first floor or attic, it was hard to tell. Olaf slept on the moth-eaten sofa on the ground floor and Hiccup slept next tom him on the softest bit of floor he could find.

While Olaf snored away, despite the raging storm outside, Hiccup made a drawing of a birthday cake with eleven candles in the dust. When he was finished, he looked at Olaf's digital watch on his fat waist and saw that it became midnight, today was now his birthday.

He looked back at the dust cake and said, "Make a wish, Hiccup."

He then blew at the dust cake, blowing the dust candles away.

A second later there was a huge bang at the door that it shook the whole shack. Both Hiccup and Olaf bolted upright. They heard another bang behind at the door, it sounded like an elephant was trying to get in.

Hiccup then noticed both Uncle Magnus and Aunt Rune running down the stairs. He noticed that Uncle Magnus was holding a rife and Hiccup guested that was what he bought at the store they stopped at.

"Who there?" He shouted. "I warn you… I'm armed!"

Whatever was behind the door either didn't care or wasn't listening, because the door was slammed so heard that it was knocked off its hinges and landed on the flat floor.

Then they saw walking over the door was a giant of a man. The thing they all noticed was that he was he had a pegged leg instead for a right leg; his left hand was missing and was replaced with a icy hook, and had a metal tooth replacing his missing one. He also had a bold head, had a blond rope like moustache and ice blue eyes.

The giant looked at them and said, "Sorry about that." He then bent down picked up the door and fitted it easily back on its frame.

"I demand that you leave in once, sir," Uncle Magnus demanded point the rife at the stranger. "You are breaking and entering!"

The giant didn't look impressed and walked up to him with a mad look in his eyes. "Dry up, Dalsson, you great prune," he said and bent the rife so the bowl pointed upwards.

Uncle Magnus fired and below a hole in the ceiling.

The giant then strode over to the sofa where Olaf sat frozen with fear.

"Well, mover over lad, I've just had a long journey," said the stranger.

Olaf quickly jumped off and ran to hide behind his mother, who herself was terrified, behind Uncle Magnus.

He then looked at Hiccup. "Ah, there you are Hiccup," said the giant, who smiled at him. "Last time I saw you, you were only a baby. And I got to say you look a lot like your mother, but you've got your dad's eyes."

"Wait, you know me, you know my parents," Hiccup gasped.

"Know them, your father was my best friend and your mother was kindest person I ever met," the giant said. "We went to school together."

Hiccup just stared at him, now he could find out about his parents and discover who he was. "Guess my birthday wish came true," he said.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said the giant and began to fish around his fur vest. "I baked you a little something. I might have sat on it while I was riding Grump, but I reckon it'll taste the same."

He then pulled out a squashed box. Hiccup opened it, not sure what to say, and looked inside it. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday Hiccup_ written on it in green icing.

Hiccup just stared at the giant with bewilderment in his eyes. "Thanks you for the cake and everything, but who are you?" he asked after placing his cake down.

"Your father was always straight to the point as well," the giant chuckled. "To answer your question the name is Gobber the Belch, Forger Master of the Berk Dragon Academy. But you know all about Berk don't you?"

"Uh, no," said Hiccup.

"No?" said Gobber surprised. "I knew you're weren't getting your letters, that's why Heryal the Wise sent me, but I never thought you wouldn't know anything about Berk, for crying out loud! Didn't you ever wonder where you're parents learnt it all?"

"Learnt what?"

"Should have known that they didn't tell you," he said gesturing to the Dalssons, who just stood there in horror. "By Odin, this is going to be harder than I thought." He then took deep breath. "Well, here goes your Viking, Hiccup. And a thumping good one I bet, once we've got you trained up."

"A what?" said Hiccup confused.

"Well, when we us the term Viking it means a warrior that can use magic," said Gobber, as if it was no big deal. "Of course if you were a girl we'd use the word Valkyrie."

"I can use… what?" said a stunned Hiccup. "No… y-you must have made a mistake. I'm just a normal kid."

"You're kidding, right," said Olaf from behind his mother. "You're anything, but normal."

"You're not helping."

"Can't use magic, ah," Gobber chuckled. "Well tell me this; has anything weird around you when you were angry or scared?"

Hiccup thought for a moment and remembered everything around him that made his aunt and uncle furious. When Olaf's gang chased him, he'd made that fire start. When Olaf tried to dunk him in that cold bath, somehow he made the water boil. He even made the glass on the take disappear and sent that boa constrictor at Olaf.

Hiccup looked back at Gobber and saw that Gobber was smiling back.

"Told you, but if you still don't believe, then maybe you believe this," said Gobber pulling out a letter from his back pocket and gave him a smile. "I think it's time you leaned the truth don't you."

Hiccup took the letter and saw it was addressed to _Mr, H_. _Horrendous Haddock III, The Floor, Hut-on-the-rock, The Sea_. He opened it and began to read.

_Berk Dragon Academy for Vikings and Valkyries_

_Headmaster:_ _Heryal the Wise_

_(Order of Haddock, First Class, Grand Warrior, Chf. Berserker, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Vikings)_

_Dear Mr Haddock,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Berk Dragon Academy of Vikings and Valkyries. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your Terrible Terror by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Phlegma the Fierce_

_Deputy headmistress_

He finally had the answers to most of his questions, but they were replaced with new ones. After a while he stuttered, "W-what's a Ter-Terrible Terror?"

"Odin's beard, that reminds me," said Gobber. Then out of nowhere a small red and green iguana with two pairs of horns, one pair of wings, and a tail with a barbed tip appeared on his shoulder. "This Hiccup is a Terrible Terror."

Hiccup then remember the army of birds that appeared outside Privet Drive.

"Is that a dragon?" He asked finally.

"Well, it's not penguin is it," said Gobber."You've probably seen one without knowing since dragons can look like things like birds to those who don't believe in them."

Gobber then began to write on a parchment and then attached it to the Terrible Terror's leg. He then went to a window, opened it, and threw the Terrible Terror into the storm. Then he sat back down on the sofa as if it was perfectly normal.

"Now about your parents," he said, but at that moment, Uncle Magnus, looking very angry, walked up to him.

"He's not going," he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish… spell books and some kind of crystal."

"I like to see you, a great Muggle, try to stop," Gobber snorted

"A… what?" Hiccup asked.

"A Muggle," said Gobber. "It's what we call those of use humans that can't use magic."

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to all this rubbish," said Uncle Magnus.

"You knew?" said Hiccup. "You knew that I could use magic and never told me.

"Of course we knew!" said Aunt Runa in an annoyed tone. "How could you not be, my perfect sister being who she was? My mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. It was all Valka this and Valka that, they were proud to have a Valkyrie in the family. I was the only one that saw for what she was… a freak."

She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.

"Then she met that Haddock and then they had you of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as—as—abnormal and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"

"Blown up?!" said Hiccup glaring. "You told me my parents died in a car crash!"

"CAR CRASH!" Roared Gobbed, jumping up so angrily that the Dalssons scuttled back to their corner. "A crash car killing Stoick the Vast and Valka the Gentle?! It's an outrage! It's a scandal!"

"What's with the titles?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, when you leave Berk you get yourself a title that fits you," explained Gobber.

"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Magnus, glaring at Gobber with clenched fists.

"Now you listen here, boy," he snarled. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured… and as for your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion… asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these Viking types… just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end—"

But at that moment, Gobber's hook turned into an icy hand that grabbed Uncle Magnus' throat. He glared at him angry and looked like he was about to squeeze his icy hand in any moment.

"Stoick the Vast was ten times the man you are and I won't let you dishonour both him and Valka by keeping their son in the dark," he said with a made look in his eye.

He then realised him and continued talking.

"This boy had his name down since he was born. He's off to the finest school for Vikings and Valkyries in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll with youngsters of his own sort, for a change, and he'll be under the greatest Headmaster the Berk Dragon Academy ever had, Heryal the Wise."

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Magnus.

Again it would seem that he pushed Gobber a bit too far this time. His icy hook then changed into an icy mace and glared at the Dalssons again.

"You really need to lean to keep that big mouth of yours closed, Dalsson," said Gobber looking as if he was going to explode. "Because you should, NEVER…INSULT…HERYAL THE WISE…IN FRONT OF ME!"

He then looked beside them and saw that Olaf was eating Hiccup's cake. The icy mace began to glow and a flash of violet light hit his fat bottom and Hiccup noticed curly pig's tail popping out of his pyjama bottoms.

Next moment all the Dalssons began screaming. Olaf was clutching hit bottom and into another room with his mother and father following him slamming the door behind them.

Gobber winked at Hiccup, who was laughing so hard that his sides hurt.

"Didn't go the way I wanted. I was meant to turn him into a pig, but I guess he was so much like one there wasn't much left," said Gobber looking at his mace. "I suppose it's for the best I would have gotten in a lot of trouble."

"Why's that?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, I was kinda expelled from Berk, so I'm not supposed to use magic. It was in my third year. They smashed by crystal eye and everything. But Heryal let me stay on as apprentice for the form Forge Master of Berk. Great man, Heryal. As was your father he stuck up for me, but it didn't help. So if you don't kind I would be grateful if you didn't mention this to anyone."

"Only if you talk me more about my parents," said Hiccup.

"Deal," said Gobber with a light chuckle.

He then pulled out a pocket watch from his fur vest and looked at it.

"Oh, we're a bit behind schedule, best be off," said Gobber putting his pocket watch away.

He then walked up to the door and gave it a small tip with his icy mace and it fell to the floor again.

"Unless you want to stay here," Gobber joked and walked outside.

"No sir," said Hiccup following him.

* * *

The storm was still raging outside and Hiccup was wondering how Gobber got here in the first place. He soon found his answer, because he saw Gobber getting on the back of a sleeping dragon.

"Hiccup, say hello to my Hotburple, Grump," said Gobber cheerfully.

Grump looked large lump with brown scales. His wings were smallest parts of its body and his tail was like Gobber's mace.

He then noticed that Grump was asleep. "Grump, wake up you fat salamander," he said hitting him with his pegged leg.

"Well, hop aboard, Hiccup," said Gobber with an out stretched hand.

Hiccup happily took without hesitation.


	5. Diagon Alley

They were still flying on Grump to places unknown. They managed to exit the storm and were flying over the countryside.

For some reason Hiccup was actually enjoying the journey with the wind in his hair. He felt free for the first time in years.

"So, how come people don't know about magic and dragons?" Hiccup asked.

"The Ministry of Magic has to keep all magic stuff secret," said Gobber.

"There's a Ministry of Magic?"

"Of course," said Gobber. "They wanted Heyral for Minister, of course, but he'd never leave Berk, so old Fudge the Mighty got the job. More like the Bungler. He pelts Heyral with Terrible Terrors every morning asking for advice."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Hiccup pointed out.

"Well, about a thousand years ago after the Vikings conquered England, we were at war with dragons for a long time. But then one brave boy a little older than you stopped the fighting and became the world's first dragon trainer. Anyway in his wisdom he thought that only those people with magic in their blood can bond with dragons and so the Ministry of Magic around that principle."

"What was the boy's name?"

"His name was Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I," said Gobber and then he saw Hiccup face. "Yes Hiccup, your ancestor."

Hiccup felt more uncomfortable with this news and decided to change the subject.

"So… where are we going?" He asked.

"We're going to London to get the stuff you need at Berk," said Gobber.

"But you heard my uncle he's not going to pay for me to go and learn magic."

"Oh, you let me worry about that, lad," said Gobber with a knowing smile.

"But, what do I need?"

"It's in your letter," said Gobber. "Inside should be a list of stuff you shall need."

Hiccup pulled out his letter and found another piece of paper he didn't notice before and read it:

_Berk Dragon Academy for Vikings and Valkyries_

Clothing

_First-year students will require_

_Three sets of Viking or Valkyries clothing_

_One horned metal helmet for day wear_

_One pair of protective gloves (dragon skin or similar)_

_One fur cape_

Set books

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Goshawk the Guiding_

A History of Magic _by Bagshot the Historian_

Magical Theory _by Waffling the Casting_

A beginners' Guide to Transfiguration _by Switch the Transforming_

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Spore the Healing_

Magical Drafts and Potions_ by Jigger the Brewing_

The Book of Dragons by _Bork the Bold_

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Trimble the Protector_

Other Equipment

_1 crystal eye_

_1 Weapon of choice_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring a Terrible Terror_

Parents are reminded that first-years are not allowed their own saddles

"Can we buy all this in London?" Hiccup asked.

"If you know where to go," said Gobber.

Soon they were flying over London and it was sight. Hiccup looked around looking at the London eye and Big Ben.

He also wondered what the people saw as they flew, a low flying helicopter maybe?

Gobber seemed to know where they were going as they were heading over to a busy street and towards an abounded building.

Hiccup looked closely and saw there was some kind of stable on top of the roof and in it where dozens of dragons.

All of them looked different to the others in so many ways. There were one's with two snake like heads, ones with spikey tails, ones that looked like Grump only with smaller wings and smaller bodies with lumps all around it's body and one's that seemed to like to set themselves on fire.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place," said Gobber.

"Do all Vikings and Valkyries have their pubs on top of abounded buildings?" Hiccup asked as they landed.

Gobber chuckled. "Oh no, this is just the stables where you can keep your dragons, the actual pub is down stairs."

"Of course, silly me."

After Gobber left Grump with a stable boy, they entered over towards a lift. Gobber pressed a button and they began to descend.

"Oh, there's one thing I forget to tell you," Gobber said.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked.

"You're famous."

"I'm what?!"

Before Gobber could answer, they'd the ground floor. Gobber then opened the door to relive a dark shabby place.

There were a few old women sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. He saw a man with bushy beard playing a piano. A little man with long horns on his helmet was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a gummy walnut. He stopped when he saw Gobber and reached out a glass, saying, "Ah, Gobber, the usual I presume?"

"No thanks Drago, I'm on Berk business," said Gobber and patted Hiccup on the back. "Just helping young Hiccup here buy his school supplies."

Drago looked at him with his eyes widened. "By Thor's hammer, it's Hiccup Haddock."

Then everyone topped what they doing. The man playing the piano came to a sudden stop, most of the people in the pub spat their drinks out and soon everyone just stared at Hiccup like he'd just fallen out of the sky.

"Welcome back, Mr. Haddock, welcome back," said an old man said shaking his hand.

Then the woman smoking the pipe shook his hand as well. "Crockford the Excited, I can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

Gobber kept them moving, but people kept stopping them to shake his hand and Crockford the Excited kept coming back for more.

They soon ran into a pale young man with a very nervous face. One of his eyes twitched and his helmet completely covered the back of his head.

"H-Hiccup H-Haddock, c-can't t-tell you h-how p-pleased I am to meet you," the man stuttered.

Hiccup knew that he wasn't one to talk as he stuttered whenever he was scared or trying to lie, but this guy too it to a whole new level.

"Hello, Quirrell, didn't see you there," said Gobber, who then looked down at Hiccup. "Hiccup, this is Quirrell the Quivering, he'll be your teaching you Combat Arts at Berk."

"Oh, nice to meet you," said Hiccup shaking his hand.

"F-f-fascinating s-subject," said Quirrell as though he'd rather noth think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, H-H-Haddock?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on D-Dark E-Elves." He looked terrified at the very thought.

"Anyway, must go, lots to buy," said Gobber.

"Goodbye," said Hiccup waving goodbye to everyone.

Gobber dragged Hiccup to the other end of the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds.

"See Hiccup, you're famous. Even Quirrel was trembling, mind you, he's usually trembling," said Gobber.

"But why am I famous?" Hiccup asked. "All those people back there, how to they know who I am?"

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you, Hiccup."

He then turned and face the wall in front of him and muttered, "Three up… two across. Right, stand back, Hiccup."

He tapped the wall with his icy hook. The brick he had touched quivered in the middle. Next second all the bricks moved apart, like some kind of jigsaw puzzle. Soon they were facing an archway large enough even for Gobber.

Hiccup looked though the archway and stared, wishing he had eight more eyes. A head on them was a street full of shops, which were full of weapons of every kind, books, cauldrons and Terrible Terrors flew overhead with messages tried to their legs. People were walking around entering sops or stopped to talk to each other.

"Welcome," said Gobber, snapping him back to reality, "To Diagon Alley."

They then began to wall into Diagon Alley. Gobber was pointing everything out as they walked.

"That's where we'll get your quills and ink," said Gobber pointing at a passing shop. Then they passed a book shop. "That's Flourish and Blotts, where we'll get your books about magic."

They then past a shop that looked like it were selling sports equipment for Vikings and Valkyries. In front of a window stood several kids about Hiccup's age, but they were a lot taller and beefier, were looking at a saddle.

"The Nimbus Two Thousand," said one of them.

"It boosts the power and speed of any dragon," said another one.

"It's the best saddle yet," said a third one.

"Uh, Gobber what's this about saddles?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, they enhance a dragon's ability's," Gobber explained. "But I wouldn't worry you can't get one yet."

"It doesn't matter if I could I don't have any money," said Hiccup a little down hearted.

"Yes you do," said Gobber and he pulled out a key from his fur vest. "Before your father died he gave me this key to look after and told me to in the event of his and Valka's death to give it you when you turn eleven." He then handed Hiccup the key.

Hiccup looked at it and then back at Gobber.

"If there's a key then there must be a door," he said.

"And that door is in there," said Gobber pointing.

Hiccup looked where he was pointing and gasped. Ahead of him was a snowy white building with burnished bronze doors which towered over the other little shops.

"Gringottos' the Viking bank," said Gobber smiling. "No safer place, not one, except perhaps Berk."

* * *

They soon entered Gringottos, and the moment they did Hiccup saw little men with, white, red or black, beards wearing armour like they except an attack.

They were sitting on high stools behind long counters, weighting coins on brass scales or examining precious stones through eyeglasses.

"Uh, Gobber what are these things?" Hiccup asked as they walked to main counter.

"Dwarfs," said Gobber in a hushed voice. "Cleave as they come, but not the most friendliest of beast. Just stay beside me."

They soon reached the main counter, where a very old dwarf was writing down on some parchment.

Gobber gave a small cough and the Dwarf looked up.

"Mr. Hiccup Haddock would like to make a withdrawal," said Gobber.

The dwarf placed his quill back in his ink well and looked at Hiccup, with unfriendly eyes.

"And does Mr. Hiccup Haddock have his key?" He asked.

Hiccup then pulled out the key that Gobber gave him from his trouser pocket.

"That seems to be in order."

"Oh, and there's one more thing as well," said Gobber importantly and pulled out a letter from his fur vest and gave it to the dwarf. "Heyral the Wise gave me this. It's about You-Know-What in vault You-Know-Which."

The dwarf read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to Gobber, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Girphook!"

Griphook was black haired dwarf, Hiccup and Gobber followed him towards one of the doors leading off the hall.

* * *

Soon they were riding a rattling cart down some tracks, which lead them below the bank itself. Hiccup thought they'll reach the centre off the Earth soon. They were riding at high speed that started to make Gobber sick.

Luckily they reached their destination before he threw up.

"Vault six hundred and eighty seven," said Griphook.

He then hopped out of the cart and looked at Gobber.

"Lamp please."

Gobber handed him the lamp and the two of them followed him to a vault door. He stopped and looked at them again.

"Key please."

Gobber took the lamp and Hiccup gave him the key. He then placed the key in a keyhole and turned it. They heard a lot of gears turning and finally the vault door opened, Hiccup gasped. Inside were mounds of gold, silver and bronze coins.

"Did you think your mum and dad will leave you with nothing did you?" Gobber asked smiling.

Hiccup couldn't believe it; yesterday he didn't have a single penny and now he found he had a small fortune, buried deep under London. He knew that if the Dalssons knew about this they could take it from him in a heartbeat.

Gobber helped Hiccup pile some of it into a bag.

"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine to a bronze Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough for a couple of terms; we'll keep the rest safe for you." He turned to Griphook. "And this time can we go more slowly?"

"Only one speed," said Griphook.

They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners.

They soon began to slow down towards a vault with no keyhole.

"Vault seven hundred and thirteen," said Griphook.

"What's in there, Gobber?" Hiccup asked.

"Can't tell you, Hiccup. Berk business. Very secret," replied Gobber.

Griphook hopped off the cart and grabbed a pickaxe from it.

"Stand back," he said importantly. He raised the pickaxe and slammed it into the door.

"If anyone but a Gringotts dwarf or a Gringotts dwarf without a dwarf pickaxe tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.

"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Hiccup asked.

"About once every ten years," said Griphook, with a rather nasty grin.

When the door opened, Hiccup expected to see fabulous jewels or mountains of gold Galleons. He was surprise to see a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Gobber picked it up and tucked it in his fur vest.

"Best not mention this to anyone, Hiccup," Gobber said.

Hiccup nodded and they returned to the surface.

* * *

One wild cart-ride and a stop at the toilet so Gobber could threw up later they were in the sunlight and walking towards the shops.

"Might as well get you proper Viking clothing," said Gobber.

"Won't Muggles find it weird that I'm wearing clothing that existed about a thousand years ago?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, don't worry about that, your Viking dress while blend in just like dragons do." They then head towards a shop called _Madam Malkin's Viking and Valkyrie dress._ "Listen, Hiccup, would you mind if I slip off for a pick-me-up in the Leaky Caldron? I hate going at high speeds, that why I ride Grump."

Hiccup nodded and entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling Valkyrie dressed in the flashiest Valkyrie dress in the shop.

"Berk, dear?" she asked, she didn't wait for Hiccup to answer and just studied him. "With your eyes I saw something in green, just stand next to that young man there and I'll get you dressed up."

Hiccup saw, in the back of the shop, a boy with ripping muscles and black hair standing on a stool. Madam Malkin's stood Hiccup on a stool next to him, slipped a green tunic over him and began to pin it to the right length

"You're going to Berk too?" The boy asked.

"Yes," said Hiccup.

"You're a bit small for Viking," the boy noted.

"What's that got to do with it?"

"Well, it's just that a good Viking is supposed to be strong and strike fear to their enemies, at least that's what my dad says," the boy said. "And you're… well, a fishbone."

Hiccup knew this type; he was the school bully that picked on weaker kids for lunch money.

"Anyway I think it's a crime that first-years can't get a saddle. I mean who wouldn't want me on their team, I'm strong, I'm handsome and I've never lost a Thawfest game," the boy said. He then looked at Hiccup. "Do you take part in Dragon Races?"

"No," said Hiccup.

"Well, do you know what house you'll be in?" He asked.

"No," said Hiccup feeling more stupid by the minute.

"Well, I'm going to be in the best house of them all, Slytherin. Every member of my family has been in Slytherin," he said and began to look around the shop. "Where are your parents anyway?"

"Dead," said Hiccup shortly.

"Oh, sorry," said the boy, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were _our_ kind, weren't they?"

"If you mean if they were a Viking and Valkyrie, then yes."

"Personal I think they should only let those who come from proper families. I mean they're only hurting themselves. They don't know what's out there and they won't be able to compete with people like us."

Hiccup was starting like this boy even less every second.

"What's your name anyway?"

Before he could answer, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear."

Hiccup jumped off the footstool and looked in the mirror. He was wearing a long-sleeve, light-green tunic and a dark brown fur vest that matches with his boots and trousers.

"Well, guess I'll see you in Berk," said the boy.

He soon met up with Gobber, who was carrying an ice cream cone in his hand, but he could see Hiccup's troubled face.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It's just there's so much I don't know, like Dragon Races, Berk's houses and something called Thawfest?"

Gobber chuckled and gave him the ice cream cone, which was chocolate.

"I wouldn't worry," he said with a smile. "Your mother was worried the day she found out that she was Valkyrie too and she was one of the brightest in her year."

That made Hiccup fell a lot better and they continued to buy his school stuff.

* * *

About an hour later, Hiccup had got all his school equipment. The weapon he got, which wasn't easy since he could barly lift any of them was a simple sword. He had everything apart from one item.

"I still need a crystal eye, whatever that is," said Hiccup, looking at his list.

"Well, I suggested Clader the Collector; no one has the largest or best crystal eye collection anywhere," said Gobber.

They walked up to a narrow and shabby shop, with golden letters over the door that read _Clader the Collector: Collector of Crystal Eyes since 845_.

They entered the shop making the bell on top tinkle. Next moment an old man with a long white beard rolled towards them on a rolling ladder.

His pale moon like eyes studied Hiccup and he smiled.

"I was wondering when I'll be seeing you Mr. Haddock," he said. "You look a lot like your mother. It seemed only yesterday that she and father came here to buy their crystal eyes."

"Not to sound dumb or anything, but what's a crystal eye?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, a very powerful magic item," said Clader. "You see Mr Haddock when a dragon dies all of its magic power enter its eyes, which then crystallise. It's those crystals that we use to channel your magical power."

"If I remember correctly your mother acquired the eye of a Hobblegrunt. Your father, on the other hand, favoured that of a Thunderdrum." He then spotted Gobber. "Ah, Gobber the Belch, I believe you had the eye of a Boneknapper."

"It was, yes, sir," said Gobber.

"A very rare crystal eyes that. It's a shame that they had to shatter it when they expelled you."

"I've still got the fragments."

"But you don't use them, do you?" said Clader shapely.

Gobber quickly hid his icy hook behind his back and looked at Hiccup. "Uh, Hiccup, I've got one last thing to do. So, I'll leave you in the care of Clader."

Without waiting a response, he walked out of the shop.

"So, let's use find your crystal eye," said Clader. "Now which hand do you use?"

"Uh, my left," said Hiccup.

"Not often we see a left handed Viking," Calder noted as he went to so shelves. He then pulled out a small box and inside was a bright yellow crystal. "The eye of a Deadly Nadder."

He gave Hiccup the crystal and looked like he was waiting for something. "Well, give it a squeeze."

Hiccup did what he was told, next moment a few of the shelves zoomed out of there holders and onto the floor. Hiccup jumped back at the sight and quickly placed the crystal on the counter.

Clader looked at him. "Apparently not," he said and walked to another shelve and gave Hiccup another crystal, this one was bright red. "The eye of a Monstrous Nightmare."

Hiccup took it and gave it a squeeze, this time a vase smashed. At like last time, Hiccup placed the crystal on the counter.

"No, no, defiantly not," said Clader in a slightly annoyed voice. "You certainly a trick customer."

He walked to another shelve and looked at an every dust box and looked Hiccup then back to the box.

"I wonder," he said and gave Hiccup the crystal eye inside. This one was bright green just like his eyes. "The eye of a Night Fury."

Hiccup squeeze, but this time he felt a huge about of power entering his body and then it began to glow bright red.

Clader just stared and said, "Curious… very curious."

"Sorry," said Hiccup, "But what's curious?"

"I remember every crystal eye I've ever sold, Mr Haddock. You see dragons have more than one eye. It is very curious that you should be destined for this crystal eye when its brother… why is brother gave you that scar."

Hiccup stared at the crystal eye and gulped.

"And who owned that crystal eye?" Hiccup asked.

"We're don't speak his name, we call him the Dragon Lord," said Clader.

"You see the crystal eye choices the Viking it's not always clear why. But I think it is clear we can expert great things from you. After all, the Dragon Lord did great things… terrible, yes, but great."

Hiccup was sure what to say, but was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a knock at the window, He looked around and saw Gobber standing their smiling.

"Hiccup, happy birthday," he said.

In his icy hook hand he was holding a cage and inside was a Terrible Terror with green and brown scales.

"Whoa!" He gasped looking at the Terrible Terror.

* * *

Half an hour later, Hiccup and Gobber were inside the Leaky Cauldron having some drinks.

"You all right, Hiccup," Gobber asked, who noticed that Hiccup was staring at his drink for the past ten minutes.

"Gobber, I need to know about what happened the night I got this scar," Hiccup said pointing at his scar.

"I've told you Hiccup, I'm not the right person to tell you," said Gobber.

"You were my dad's best friend, who better?" He asked. Gobber still didn't look as if he won't to talk. "Gobber, all my life I wanted to know about my parents, how I got this scar and where I come from. You've got the answers and I need them now, who was this Dragon Lord."

"I suppose I should tell you," said Gobber placing his icy drinking goblet down and took a deep breath. "But I don't know much myself, but you deceive to know the truth."

"You see, Hiccup, not all Vikings are good some of them go bad and this one went as bad you can go," said Gobber. He then took another deep breath and continued. "And his real name was Drago Bludvist."

"He so terrible that only a handful of people spook his real name, even his own followers were afraid of him. He went a school with me and your dad, but he was a few years above us. Right after he left Berk, he started to create an army full people that believed in his course or those who feared him and all kinds of dark creators to take over the world."

Hiccup noticed that Gobber was rubbing his prosthetic arm.

"Is that how you lose… you know?" Hiccup asked.

"They were dark times no one knew who to trust. After leaving Berk your father created an army to fight the Dragon Lord with the help of Heyral the Wise, who was the one person that the Dragon Lord feared. People were dying right and left. He killed anyone that stood in his way without mercy or regret. One day on Halloween night ten years ago, he came to your house and killed your parents. And here is the biggest mystery, he tried to kill you."

"Me, Drago Bludvist tried to kill me," Hiccup gasped.

"Tried being the key word, somehow you survived destroyed the Dragon Lord's attack with nothing but a scar on your forehead. And scar like that can only be created with a powerful attack and when I mean powerful I mean it's strong enough to kill a dragon."

"So… what happened to… the Dragon Lord?" Hiccup asked.

"Some people say he died, but I was at your house and I didn't see his body. An old friend once told me never count someone dead until you see their body right in front of your eyes. I believe he's somewhere out there too weak to carry on. But one thing is clearly certain, something about you stopped him that night. That's why you're famous, that's why everyone knows your name. You're the Boy Who Lived"

Hiccup wasn't sure what to make of this, but Gobber looked at his pocket watch and said, "Look at the time. I better get you make home."

"But what if the Dalssons try to stop me?" Hiccup asked.

"Then send me a letter with your Terrible Terror, he'll know where to find me. And remember the train leaves on First of September at King's Cross, it's all in this ticket."

Gobber then handed him a train ticket and moments later they were flying thought the air on Grump.

Hiccup could help, but think this has to been the weirdest birthday any ever had in all of human history.


	6. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Hiccup's last month with Dalssons was quite. Olaf was so afraid of Hiccup that whenever he entered a room that Olaf was in, he'd just run out with his tail between his legs, literally he still had the tail that Gobber gave him. Hiccup had to say the feeling of Olaf running from him was strange, but enjoyable.

His Aunt Runa and Uncle Magnus tried to have as little contact with Hiccup as much as it was humanly possible. Hiccup had to say having so much power at his fingertips was threatening.

Hiccup spent much of his time in his room, which had clean up though without magic. He's named his Terrible Terror Sharpshot since every one of his fire balls hit its mark. He read his Book of Dragons book with great interest; he leant all about the different kinds of dragons, where they lived and all their unique ability's.

On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about a lift to King's Cross station next day. He went down stairs, he saw his Uncle Magnus reading a newspaper on his favourite chair and his Aunt Runa snooping at the neighbours though the window.

"Uh, Uncle Magnus?"

Uncle Magnus gave a grunt to show he was listening.

"Uh, I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to… to go to Berk."

Uncle Magnus grunted again.

"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?"

"Fine," said Uncle Magnus. This surprised Hiccup, for the past month no one spook to him. "Where's this school anyway?"

"Why, do you want to visit?" Hiccup asked before he could stop himself.

Uncle Magnus glared at him and pointed one of his sausage like fingers at him. "What it boy," he said in a threating voice.

"I don't know," said Hiccup and pulled out the ticket that Gobber gave him. "All that's on the ticket is that the train leaves platform nine and three-quarters at elven o'clock."

His aunt and uncle stared at him.

"Platform what?"

"Nine and three-quarters."

"Don't you find that a bit odd?" Uncle Magnus asked.

"Well, since a giant, that could create icy like weapons and gave me a small dragon for a pet, came to me, told me I'm a magical Viking and rode me on a dragon to a bank that was run by dwarfs, nothing surprise me at this point."

His aunt and uncle just continued to stare at him.

"Well, it's a good thing for you that we're going to London as well," said Uncle Magnus.

"Why?"

"To take Olaf to a private hospital, to get that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smelting," growled Uncle Magnus.

"That's going to take some explain," said Hiccup before returning to his room.

* * *

Next day, Hiccup found himself on King's Cross station at half past ten. The Dalssons had just left him laughing their heads off after Uncle Magnus made a joke about that his platform would in the middle of nine and ten; he also mentioned that they hadn't started building it.

He knew he couldn't ask any of the guards since they would only laugh at him or throw off the station. Gobber had forgotten to tell him how to get on the station and he now had ten minutes left.

At that a group of people with past him and he heard a few words they said.

"—packed with Muggles of course—"

"Muggles?" said Hiccup and he began to follow them.

The speaker was a plump woman wearing a blue tunic with shoulder guards and a breast plate who was talking to three boys and girl, all with golden blond hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Hiccup's and wearing clothing that matched his in front of him. He also noticed that the oldest boy had a black scaled Terrible Terror.

Also in the mothers had was a small boy, also with blond hair, but he was wearing normal T-shirt jeans.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the mother.

"Nine and three-quarters!" Piped the small boy. "Mama, can't go…"

"We've been through this before, Ripper, you're not old enough," said the mother. They soon reached towards platforms nine and ten. "All right, Sven, you first."

The eldest boy rolled up and began to charge at platforms nine and ten. Next second he disappeared. Hiccup rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Next she looked at the two next eldest boys, which were twins. Hiccup couldn't tell them apart.

"Double, you next," the plump woman said.

"He's not Double I am," said the other boy."

"Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother," said the other boy.

"Sorry, Trouble," said their mother.

Trouble then rolled forwards and looked at his mother one last time.

"Only joking, I am Double," said the boy.

He and his twin disappeared as they charged at platforms nine and ten, before their mother could yell at them.

Hiccup decided he better ask, before there was no one left to ask.

"Excuse me," Hiccup said rolling his trolley towards the plump woman. He looked at her nervously. "W-would you tell me h-how to get on the…"

"How to get on the platform?" The woman finished with a small chuckle. "Not to worry dear, this is Astrid's first time as well."

He looked at the girl next to him and couldn't help, but blush she was pretty.

She had steel blue eyes, a button noise and she had tired her blonde hair back with braided to make a ponytail, except for the long bangs that cover the left side of her forehead. Around her forehead was a leather band. She was wearing a skirt with spikes surrounding it and a belt with a pouch on her hip and also wears skull emblazoned shoulder pads. She was also tall than him, mind you everyone usually is.

"What are you staring at?" She asked in either violent way.

"Astrid, be nice," her mother said. She then looked back at Hiccup. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Best do a bit of ran if your nervous."

"Trust me I am," said Hiccup pushing his trolley up to the barrier.

"Good luck," said the little boy.

Hiccup then charged at the barrier and closed his eyes ready for the crash.

But it never happened; instead he went straight through the barrier and appeared on a platform packed with people in Viking dress. He then saw a huge steam engine with the words _Berk Express_ and over his head was a station sign with the words _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters_.

He pressed through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Sharpshots inside first and then stared to shove and heave his trunk towards the train door. He found this a tougher challenge then trying to find the platform.

"Want a hand?" A voice asked. Hiccup looked around and saw one of the blonde twins he'd followed.

"No, I've got plenty of Vikingness to get this dumb trunk up," Hiccup said as he tried to lift it again with the same result.

"I can see that," the twin joked and looked off into the distance. "Oy, Double! Get your butt over here."

With the help of the twins, Hiccup's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Hiccup, rubbing his forehead.

"What's that?" said one of the twins, pointing at him.

"Uh, my head," said Hiccup.

"Not the thing attached to your neck, the thing on your forehead," said the twin rolling his eyes.

"My Thor's hammer," said the other twin. "Are you—?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Hiccup.

"What?" said Hiccup.

"Hiccup Haddock," chorused the twins.

"Oh, here you go again," said Hiccup rolling his eyes. "Yes, I am he."

Before they could say anything, a voice came floating in thought the train's open doors.

"Double? Trouble? Are you there?"

"Coming, mum."

They gave him one last look before hopping off the train.

Hiccup sat next to the window in a way that let him see the blonde-haired family talking without being spotted.

"Where's Sven?" Their mother asked.

"He's coming now," said Astrid.

The oldest boy came striding into sight. The way he walked was a way of showing pride and Hiccup noticed that his Viking clothing was in better nick than the other members of his family and he had sliver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Can't stay long, mother," he said. "I'm up front; the Prefects have got two compartments to themselves—"

"Oh, are you Perfect, Sven?" said one of the twins, in joking tone. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"I remember he mention something about being that," said the other twin. "Once—"

"Or twice—"

"A minute—"

"All summer—"

"Oh, shut up," said Sven.

"How come, Sven gets new cloths, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a _Prefect_," said their mother fondly.

She then kissed Sven on the cheek and he left, with a slightly red face. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two, you behave yourselevs. Last year I got about a hundred letters saying that you burnt down the Great Hall."

"That's so unfair."

"Yeah, we only started a small fire."

"It's not our fault that Spike and Strike panicked when we showed them an eel."

"Never mind, I'm sure that you'll find a way to cause trouble," said their mother."

"Isn't that way you called us Double and Trouble?"

"Just look after Astrid."

"Mum, I can look after myself," said Astrid in a furious tone.

"She defiantly takes after mum," one of the twins said to his brother, who nodded in agreement.

Then Astrid punched him in the arm. She best have punch hard, because Hiccup heard him say "ow" and saw him began to rub his arm.

"Hey, mum, guess what guess who we just met on the train?" The other twin said.

Hiccup felt uneasy at this point.

"You know that scrawny looking kid who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"Hiccup Haddock?"

Hiccup saw the little boy jumping up with joy.

"Oh, mama, can I go and meet him on the train, please…"

"You've already seen him; Ripper and I doubt the boy wants any more attention. Is he really, Double? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar it's really there like lightning."

"Don't look every impressive to me," Astrid muttered.

"Are you kidding," Ripper said in surprise. "He's the one that destroyed the Dragon Lord."

"Yeah, and a couple of years ago you said you wished you had a scar like that," Trouble pointed out.

"Bet he likes to show off and did you see the way he was looking at me?"

"I think he likes you," Ripper giggled.

Hiccup suddenly felt his face turn red.

"I wouldn't go out with him if I was on fire and he was the only person with a bucket of water," Astrid huffed.

"That's enough, Astrid, you hardly know him," said her mother. "I thought he was polite when he asked how to get on to the platform. I did wonder why he was on his own."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!"

After kissing their mother goodbye and clambered on to the train. They leant out the window for her to wave them goodbye and their little brother looked annoyed.

"Don't worry, Ripper, we'll send you loads of Terrible Terrors."

"We'll even send you something. How about a Berk toilet seat?"

"Trouble!"

"Only joking, mum."

* * *

Half an hour later, Hiccup saw looking out of the window looking at the county side as it went by.

"Hey, is anyone sitting here?" A voice asked.

Hiccup looked around and saw a boy his age with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a green shirt, black trousers and boots. He had a kind looking face that looked like he was looking right into his soul.

"No!" said Hiccup and the boy sat down opposite to him.

"The name is Ragnar Keatson," said the boy.

"Hiccup Haddock," said Hiccup.

"Are you really," said Ragnar looking at him with great interest.

"This is never going to get tiring," said Hiccup sarcastically.

"So, it's just I've read about you in some extra books I bought."

"Wait, you mean you didn't know about me before?" Hiccup asked now getting interested.

"Yeah, well my mother is Muggle and I never knew my father," said Ragnar.

"Glad I'm not the only one that's new to this stuff," said Hiccup feeling a bit more relax.

"And I bet you won't be the only ones."

They spent the next half an hour talking about their Muggle families. Ragnar told him that his father left his mother to raise him herself and that they were both surprised to find out that he was some kind of magical warrior. Hiccup explained how the Dalssons treated him and how he found out he was Viking.

"Guess you've both had a rough life," said Ragnar.

"No kidding," said Hiccup.

"So do you know what house you'll be in?" Ragnar asked. "Well, in book called _Berk History_ that there are four houses named after the four founders, which were students to your ancestor, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I. There's Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin."

"I met someone at Diagon Alley how asked me the same thing, but I couldn't really answer him," said Hiccup. "I still can't answer that question."

"Guess we'll find out when we get there, but if I end up in Slytherin I'm out there faster than you can say Berk," said Ragnar crossing his arms.

"Why's that?" Hiccup asked.

"That's the house the Dragon Lord landed in and more than half of evil Vikings and Valkyries," Ragnar explained.

Before Hiccup could say anything a smiling, dimpled Woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the trolley dears?"

Hiccup walked up to the trolley ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry, but she didn't have any Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Axes and a number of other strange things Hiccup had never seen in his life. In the end he bought something of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

Ragnar stared in amazement at load he brought back. He tipped them on to an empty seat.

"Hungry are you?"

"You try living with the Dalssons," said Hiccup.

"Point taken," said Ragnar, who then looked at load on the sat. "You mind if I have some."

"Dig in."

Before they could however three boys entered. Hiccup recognized one of them from Madam Malkin's shop; only now he was wearing a helmet with ram horns on it, a black fur shirt, a yellow sleeveless tunic, a metal-leather belt with some kind of crest on it, brown armbands, trousers and boots.

The other two were standing beside him wearing similar clothing and were bigger than him, but looked a lot more stupid.

"Which one of you is Hiccup Haddock?" the middle boy asked.

Ragnar looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Friends of your?" He asked.

"Hardly," Hiccup said.

The three boys looked at him in amazement.

"Wait, you're Hiccup Haddock?" the boy asked and began to laugh; the other two began to laugh to.

"What about it?" Hiccup asked.

"It's just that you're a runt," the boy said.

"Who are you?" Ragnar said getting up.

"The name is Snotlout Jorgenson?" The boy said, glaring at him. "This is Dogsbreath Goylson and Clueless Morson. And who are you?"

"The name is Ragnar Keatson," Ragnar said glaring at Snotlout.

"And I'm Astrid Hofferson," A voice said.

Everyone looked around, it was the blonde girl Hiccup met before. She was standing with her arms folded and a look that could kill anybody.

"Well, ain't you a pretty little thing," said Snotlout as he raised a hand to touch her cheek. "I've heard about your family from my father, but if you're wiser than the rest of your family we might be able to get together."

Before his hand touched her cheek, Astrid twisted his arm and kicked him the stomach.

Both Hiccup and Ragnar stared.

"Remind me never to get on her bad side," said Ragnar.

Both Dogsbreath and Clueless stepped up looking as if their ready to fight, but Snotlout got up and stopped them.

"Not now, wait until there's no one around," he said.

He then glared at Hiccup.

"Word of advice, Haddock, you'll find out that there are Viking clans out there that are much better than others. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort."

Then the three of them left.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself!" Hiccup yelled.

Astrid then looked at the both of them.

"We haven't reached Berk and already you're coursing trouble," she said.

"They were the ones that coursing trouble," Ragnar pointed out.

Astrid then looked at Hiccup with an unimpressed look.

"Are you really Hiccup Haddock or are you one of Double and Trouble's jokes?" She asked.

Hiccup nodded.

"You've met that guy before?" She asked.

Hiccup explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"My dad told me about them," said Astrid darkly. "He said that while they weren't the smartest they are one of the strongest Viking clans. They were some of the first to come back to our side after the Dragon Lord disappeared. Said they'd been controlled. My dad doesn't believe it. He said that Snotlout's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

She then looked at the pile of sweets on the chair.

"And I see you haven't wasted any time throwing money about," She noted.

"I just don't want to miss anything," said Hiccup looking at the floor. "But I think your luck that you have four Viking brothers."

"Six," Astrid corrected. "I'm the first girl in my family for generations, so I have a lot to live up to. Bjorn and Riptide have already left, Bjorn was Head Boy and Riptide was Dragon Race Captain. Now Sven's a Prefect. Double and Trouble mess around a lot, but they still get good marks and everyone thinks they're funny."

"Trust me, I know what's it like to measure up to someone," said Hiccup.

"No you don't, I'm stuck wearing my mother's old Valkyrie cloths, I've got Bjorn old axe that once belonged to my Uncle Finn, Riptide's old crystal eye and Sven's old rat."

That's when Hiccup noticed that a fat grey rat was sleeping on her shoulder.

"My family is very poor, so they couldn't get me Terrible Terror the day they got Sven one. So, they gave me Scabbers."

Hiccup felt a little sorry for her, but he tried not showing it. He had a feeling that she would get very violent if anyone gave her any pity.

He then reached out a packet of chocolate frogs and tossed them over to her.

"I don't need any pity," she said glaring at him.

"I'm just say thank you for scaring those guys off and you can have as much as you like," said Hiccup with a small smile.

"What are they anyway?" Ragnar asked.

Hiccup had quite forgotten that he was in the compartment with them.

"Just some enchanted chocolate made to look and act like a frog," Astrid explained as she opened one of the packets. "Besides it's the card you really want. Each packet has a Famous Viking and Valkyrie card."

She opened it and after eating the chocolate frog, she looked at the card. The card showed a picture of an old Viking with a missing hand and a long white bread.

"Heyral the Wise," Astrid groaned. "I've got six of him."

"So this is Heyral the Wise," said Hiccup studying the card with great interest.

He turned over the card and read:

_Heyral the Wise, currently Headmaster of the Berk Dragon Academy. Considered by many the greatest Viking of modern times. Heyral is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark Viking Grindelward the Terrible in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve use of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Flamel the Eternal. Heyral the Wise enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling._

When he turned it back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Heyral's face had disappeared.

"He's gone!" He gasped and showed it to Ragnar who was equally astonished.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Astrid.

"Of course, how silly of us," Ragnar said as he took a bag of Bertie Boot's Every-Flavour Beans.

"I'll be careful with those if I were you," Astrid advised.

"Why's that?" Ragnar asked as he was about to put a green one in his mouth.

"Well, when they mean every flavour, they _mean_ every flavour. You get the ordinary ones like chocolate, peppermint and marmalade, but you can also get spinach, liver and tripe. Trouble reckons he had a bogey flavoured one once."

The moment that Ragnar bit on the bean, he'd spat it out.

"What flavour was it?" Hiccup asked.

"Sprouts," said Ragnar in a disgusting tone.

Astrid then got up and began to leave the compartment.

"You going?" Hiccup asked.

"As much as I enjoyed your company," she said in a sarcastic tone. "But I have to look for a Terrible Terror called Iggy, a boy named Fishlegs has lost one."

She looked at Hiccup one last time with a death glare.

"Don't get in my way," She warned and walked off.

"Couldn't think of it," Hiccup called after her.

"You like her don't you?" Ragnar asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What would give you a silly idea like that?" He asked blushing.

"I'm a good judge of character."

* * *

Later that night, they arrived at a station called Berkmeade. They followed people off the train onto the platform.

Hiccup then saw a lamp bobbing over the heads of the students and then he heard a familiar voice: First-years! First-years over here! All right there, Hiccup?"

Hiccup smiled at the smiling face that belonged to Gobber.

"Whoa," gasped Ragnar when he saw Gobber.

Gobber then led them onto steep and narrow path. They soon came to the edge of a great black lake. In the middle of the lake was islanded and on it was a small fortress with a mountain sticking out of the middle of it, there were many turrets and towers around the fortress as well. Behind was a large forest that was connected to the main land.

"It's a land bridge," Ragnar explained. "It only connects to the main land once a week."

"No more than four to a boat!" Gobber called pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Hiccup and Ragnar were followed into their boat by Astrid and Fishlegs.

Fishlegs was blonde boy with forest green eyes and he was just as big as Dogsbreath, expect that he had skinny legs; it was surprising that they hold him up at all. He was dressing in a fur tunic, green trousers and fur boots. On top of his head he was wearing a small horned helmet. He looked just as nervous as Quirrell to day Hiccup meet him.

"Everyone in?" shouted Gobber, who had a boat to himself," Right then, forward!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great fortress overheard.

They soon reached a small harbour and the little boats docked at it.

They then climbed onto the dock and once Gobber was sure that everyone was here, he led them to a wooden ramp. A minute later they reached a giant wooden door.

"No turning back now," said Gobber.

He then banged his icy mace on the door three times on the giant door ahead of them.

* * *

**Ragnar is my OC character from my Dragon Chronicles series. I got the idea of Double and Trouble from two dogs I met on my holiday.**


	7. The Sorting Helmet

**I had to re-upload** **this chapter because it failed to show on the site.**

* * *

The doors swung open at once. They walked through them and took their first steps into the fortress.

They followed Gobber through what looked like a city. All around them they saw wooden houses which of them had a dragon figure head above the doors and then they came to staircase that led to two grand doors that were imbedded in the mountain. Hiccup looked more closely at the mountain and realised that a castle had been carved into it.

At the tops of the stairs was a woman wearing armour around her chest and gave them a look that told them to watch their Ps and Qs.

"The first-years, Phlegma," said Gobber.

"Thank you, Gobber. I will take them from here."

Gobber nodded and walked over to the doors ahead of them. They opened a bit and Hiccup thought he heard people inside talking, but they quickly closed when Gobber walked through them.

"Welcome to the Berk Dragon Academy," said Phlegma. "In a few moments you'll pass these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats you'll be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Now while you're here you house will be like your family, your triumphs will earn you house points, any rule breaking and you'll lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup—"

"Iggy!" Fishlegs interrupted.

Everyone laughed as Fishlegs went down to pick up his red scaled Terrible Terror that was sitting just in front of Phlegma. Phlegma looked down at him with an unimpressed look; it was clear to anyone that she didn't like to be interrupted when speaking.

"Sorry," said Fishlegs as he went back to join the first-years.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place soon in front of the whole school. I suggest you all smarten yourselevs up as much as you can while you are waiting."

She then left to enter the grant looking doors in front of them.

"How do you think they're going sort us?" Hiccup asked Ragnar.

"I don't know, but from what I read from _Berk History_ it's mainly a judge of character," said Ragnar.

That didn't make Hiccup any better, but when he looked around everyone looked just as terrified too. Astrid Hofferson looked as if she was trying to remember any fight techniques she could remember. Snotlout Jorgenson looked very confident, no doublet he was very positive that he was going into Slytherin.

The doors reopened and Phlegma remerged.

"We're ready for you now," she said and she led them to the doors behind her.

Then the doors swung wide open and they walked through. The first thing they saw were hundreds of student sitting on four long stables at the base of four great statues, two of them were Vikings and the other two were Valkyries, and each one of them was holding a different weapon. One was a buff Viking coloured red and was holding a sword, the second on was a plump Valkyrie coloured yellow and was holding a mace, the third one was tall and lean Valkyrie coloured blue in her hand she was holding a dagger and the last one was just buff Viking as the first one only with a sly smile and it was coloured green in his hand was an axe.

Ahead of them they saw a long table where the teachers sat and behind them was a red, yellow, blue and green statue. Hiccup looked at it closely and could have sworn that it looked a bit like him.

Hiccup heard gasps and saw some of the first-years were looking up in amazement. Hiccup looked up and gasped himself, because above them were the ceiling was supposed to be was the night sky.

"It's not real the ceiling," Ragnar explained. "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about in _Berk History_."

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, we'll find out when it rains."

Phlegma was leading them towards the front where a four legged stool stood and on it sat a dented Viking helmet with worn horns.

She then stopped when she reached the stool and turned to face them.

"When I call your name, you'll come forward. I'll place the Sorting Helmet on your head and you'll be sorted into your houses," she said picked up the helmet in one hand and held a scroll in the other.

"Astrid Hofferson!"

Astrid then walked up and sat on the stool. Phlegma placed the helmet on her head. Hiccup wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that he saw crack appear near the brim, like a mouth. Then there was a big booming voice. "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table cheered as Astrid went over to join her brothers, who patted her on the back.

A boy named 'Speedfist Boilson' went to Hufflepuff. Two twins named 'Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston' that looked like they were just a mischievous as the Hofferson twins joined Gryffindor as well.

"Snotlout Jorgenson!"

Snotlout walked up proudly, only to be scrolled by Phlegma for wearing his helmet before the sorting. Both Hiccup and Ragnar smiled at this and tried to hold back their laughter.

After taking his helmet off, Phlegma then began to place the helmet on his head, but it barely touched his head before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

Snotlout looked at Hiccup smuggle and went to join the Slytherin table. Hiccup noticed that all the Slytherins looked just as unpleasant as Snotlout.

His two friends Dogsbreath and Clueless soon joined him in Slytherin, but Heather Valha joined the Ravenclaw table.

"Hiccup Haddock!"

Hiccup step forward and he wasn't surprised that people began to whisper to one another. Even the teachers leaned forward a bit to get a better look at him.

Hiccup sat on the stool and Phlegma placed the helmet over his head.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh yes and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to pit you."

Hiccup gripped the edge of the stool and thought, "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin."

"Not Slytherin, eh?" said the small voice. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that… no?" Well, if you're sure… better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Hiccup heard the hat shout the last word to the whole Hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily towards the Gryffindor table. The whole table cheered, minus Astrid who gave him the biggest death glare he'd ever seen. Her bothers on the other hand showed no such emotion; Sven shook hands with him vigorously, while the Hofferson twins yelled, "We got Haddock! We got Haddock!"

He looked at the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Gobber, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs-up. He noticed that Phlegma smiled at him, which made him feel a little uneasy. He noticed sitting in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Heyral the Wise. Hiccup recognised him at once from the Chocolate Frog card he got.

Once the Gryffindor's cared down, the sorting continued.

Agatha Berdis became a Gryffindor. Eggingarde Damar became a Hufflepuff. Helly Thickarm joined Slytherin. Aggie Ardache joined Ravenclaw. Rubbella Parkinson became a Slytherin

"Ragnar Keatson!"

Ragnar walked up to the stool and Phlegma placed the helmet on his head. The helmet took it's time, but the yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Ragnar happily jumped off and went to join the Gryffindor table and sat next to Hiccup. Then he noticed Astrid glaring at the both of them.

"So much for not getting on her bad side," said Ragnar.

The sorting continued and they were left with only a hand full of students. Wartihog Brandir joined Gryffindor as did Fishlegs Ingerman, who after seeing Snotlout getting scolded for wearing his helmet took his off. Herrietta Horse on the other hand joined Ravenclaw. The last first-year was a boy named Hardbottom Highhat joined Hufflepuff.

After hearing some of the names being called out, Hiccup was starting to think that his name wasn't the worst name in the world.

With the sorting finished Phlegma rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Helmet away.

Once she sat at her place at the High Table, Heyral the Wise stood up. He smiled at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" He said. "Welcome to a new year at Berk! So, without any further ado let the feast begin."

Next seconded all the dishes on the table were filled with plenty of food. Hiccup didn't waste any time and began to grab as much as he could.

The Dalssons never starved Hiccup, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Olaf had always taken anything that Hiccup really wanted, even if it made him sick.

Astrid was about to take a chicken wing, but then a ghost head went through the plate; this gave Astrid a start and made her drop her chicken wing. The ghost smiled at the new Gryffindors.

"Hello," said the ghost. "Welcome to Gryffindor."

Then suddenly three ghosts appeared out of nowhere. One looked like a village elder and was hovering over the Hufflepuff. The second one was tall lean looking lady with a deep calculating face and was hovering over the Ravenclaw table. The last one was the most fighting of them all, he was buff Viking warrior covered in blood and he was hovering over the Slytherin table.

The host in the chicken wing dish floated out of it and showed that he too was a Viking warrior, though with no blood over his clothing.

"Ah, Njal had a nice summer?" Sven asked.

"I'm afraid not, once again my request to join the Headless Hunt has been denied," said Njal.

"I know you, you're Nearly Headless Njal," said Astrid.

"I prefer Njal young lady," said Njal stiffly.

"_Nearly _Headless? How can you be nearly headless?" Ragnar asked.

"Like this," he said irritably.

He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on to his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. All the first-years had disgusted looks on their faces.

"You ask a skilly question," Ragnar muttered.

Nearly Headless Njal flipped his head back on to his neck and floated away.

As they ate the new Gryffindors began to talk about the families.

"Both my sister and I have a Muggle mother, but our real father disappeared suddenly," Tuffnut explained.

"I know the feeling," said Ragnar, as he took a bit from his sausage.

"Well, I'm half and half," said Wartihog. "My papa is a Muggle. My mama didn't tell him she was a Valkyrie until after they were married."

"That most have been a fun Honeymoon," Ragnar noted.

"Yeah, my papa got a nasty shock when he found out."

"What about you Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a Valkyrie," said Fishegs, "But the rest of the family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My great-uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me, but nothing happened until I was eight."

"What was so special when you were eight?" Ragnar asked curiously.

"Well, great-uncle Algie came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles—"

"He must have very strong arm muscles," Tuffnut interrupted. The four boys glared at him. "Sorry."

"Anyway, my great-aunt Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let me go. I somehow managed to turn the ground below me into mud and it softened the impact. Everyone was so pleased. Gran even cried, because she was happy. Great-uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

Hiccup looked at the High Table again and saw Gobber drinking deeply from his goblet. Phlegma the Fierce was talking to Heyral the Wise. The thing that caught his eye most was Quirrell the Quivering, in his strange looking helmet, was talking to a mean looking Viking with black greasy hair and a grim looking face. The grim Viking looked past Quirrell's helmet straight into Hiccup's eyes, next moment he felt a nasty sharp pain in across his scar on Hiccup's forehead.

"Ouch!" Hiccup clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" asked Sven.

"N-nothing," he said as the pain disappeared. Something in his gut told him that the pain he just felt was telling him trouble would be coming his way. "Who's the Viking talking to Quirrell the Quivering?"

"Oh, you know Quirrell the Quivering already do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Grabbit the Grim. He's the Potions Master, but it's Combat Arts he'd like to teach, he's been after Quirrell's job for years."

Soon the last pudding disappeared and Heyral the Wise got to his feet. Everyone in the Great Hall fell silent.

"Ahem, I'd just like to speak a few words now. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you," he said. "First-years should note that Raven's Point is forbidden to all pupils. Also your Ground Keeper's Mulch and Bucket would like me to remind you that some of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Heyral the Wise gestured to two Vikings sitting at the High Table.

One was brown bearded, short and buffy and like Gobber had a pegged leg and a hook for an arm. The second one was blonde, tall and muscular, but the thing that stood out was that instead of a helmet on his head he had bucket. Hiccup guessed that on was Bucket. Mulch on the other hand was looking straight at the Hofferson twins.

Heyral then continued. "I have also been asked by our caretaker, Mildew the Unpleasant, to remind you as well that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"Dragon Racing trials will held in second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house trams should contact Madam Hooch."

"And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Suddenly there was some muttering going on.

"He's not serious?" Hiccup muttered to Sven.

"Must be," said Sven, frowning at Heyral. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere. The forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us Prefects, at least."

"Now, I think that while we've had fun tonight we should go to bed."

The Gryffindor first-years followed Sven through the chattering crowds. They then went through another grand door, but this one lead them deeper into the mountain. They soon entered a marble staircase that seemed to carry on for miles.

"Mind the staircases they like to change," Sven advised, as they marched up one of the marble staircases.

As they walked they passed some portraits and the pictures in them were moving, whispering and pointing as they passed. They kept climbing for what felt like miles and Hiccup was wondering if they'll reach the place they were going.

Then he noticed a bundle of walking sticks were floating in mid-air ahead of them and as Sven took a step towards them they stared throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves the Poltergeist," Sven whispered to the first-years. He raised his voice, "Peeves, show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Viking?"

There was a _pop_ and a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Ooooooh!" He said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Bloody Viking will hear about this, I mean it!" barked Sven.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Fishlegs's head. they hears him zooming away, making some stone statues shake as he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Sven, as they set off again. "The Bloody Viking's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us Prefects."

"Imagine that," Ragnar whispered to Hiccup and they both snickered.

"Here we are," said Sven.

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat Valkyrie who looked very lazy.

"Password?" She asked.

"_Caput Draconis,_" said Sven, and the portrait swung forwards to reveal a round hole in the wall.

They all scrambled through it, Fishlegs need a leg up, and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy round room full of squashy armchairs.

Sven directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the through another. At the top of a spiral staircase, as they climbed they looked out of a window and saw Raven Point outside meaning they were near the top of the mountain and facing Raven Point, they found their beds at last: five simple wooden beds. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.

"Great food, isn't it?" Ragnar muttered to Hiccup.

Then they heard a scream coming from the girl's dormitory.

"Guess the girls discovered that Astrid has a pet rat," said Hiccup, he looked back at Ragnar and saw that he was fast asleep.

Hiccup decided to follow his lead and fell asleep as well.


	8. The Potions Master

To say that Astrid was annoyed would be the understatement of the year. First she found out that Hiccup Haddock was in her year and next both him and his friend Ragnar were in her house.

She was still getting use to the Monstrous Nightmare tattoo on her hip. When she woke up the next morning she saw that she and the other girls Monstrous Nightmare tattoo on different parts of their body's along with the boys. Sven explained that the tattoos will disappear when they are away from Berk and that it was to show which house they belong to.

She then started to hear people say things like 'Look there he is!' and 'Did you see his scar?" She had enough about hearing Hiccup Haddock from her kid brother Ripper, who was like head of the Hiccup Haddock fan club.

She'd spent years trying to prove to her older brothers that she was just as strong as they were and know she had deal with Hiccup Haddock. The only thing that was in her favour was that he was scrawny looking and the nervous person she'd ever met with the exception of Quirrell the Quivering.

He also seemed to get in to trouble very easily, she noticed that both him and Ragnar were forcing their way through a door that turned out to be the forbidden corridor that Heyral the Wise warned about. They soon got into trouble with the caretaker Mildew the Unpleasant, who discovered them.

Mildew was an old man with crocked teeth and always walked with a staff with dragon fangs warped around it. He also owned a sheep called Fungus. If he saw anyone breaking a rule then he'd run off and get Mildew.

The two boys tried to explain that they were lost, but he didn't believe a word they said and threatened to lock them in the dungeons when they were saved by Quirrell the Quivering, who was passing.

Astrid was worried that her axe would last the term. It was a double bladed axe that once belonged to her oldest brother Bjorn and it was scratched and dented in places, her crystal eye, which was from a Deadly Nadder, wasn't in any better shape.

The soon began to start their lessons, they had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the farms behind the mountain to study Herbology, with a plump looking Valkyrie called Flora the Botanist; she was the academy's Herbology Master and Healer, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and found out what they were used for.

The most boring lesson of them all was easily History of Magic, which was he only class taught by a ghost. The History of Magic Master was Binns the Boring and from what people had told her he had fallen asleep in the of the stuff-room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Core Magic was much more fun and being taught by Flitwick the Charmer, he was a tiny Viking, he was even smaller than Hiccup, with a thick black beard who had to stand on a pile of books to get noticed.

"Now for those of you who don't know Core Magic it the magic that lies with in all of us and take different forms," Flitwick explained. "You see we all use a different brand of magic and today we'll discover it."

He looked at all the students in the room and spotted Hiccup sitting next to Ragnar.

"Ah, Mr Haddock, let's start with you," he said. Hiccup got up and walked nervously to the front. "Now, bring out your crystal eye and your weapon."

Hiccup showed them his sword, which was nice and shiny showing it hadn't seen battle at all like Astrid's axe, and then his crystal eye. Astrid looked at the crystal eye and she wasn't able to recognise it at all.

"Now place the crystal eye in the hilt of the sword," Flitwick said. Hiccup did what he was told and placed his crystal eye in the slot in the swords hilt. "Now concentrate and feel the power deep inside you."

Hiccup closed his eyes and looked as if he was in great thought. Seconds passed, but nothing happened and Astrid was starting to think the boy wasn't anything special, until red flames began to cover his body. It was so hot that Astrid could feel the heat from where she was sitting, she looked around and saw the rest of the class were sweating like pigs.

"Well done!" Flitwick yelled.

Hiccup opened his eyes, noticed for the first time he was on fire and jumped back in surprise. The moment he did the flames disappeared.

"When you lose concentration your Core Magic will vanish, but we'll work on that," said Flitwick. "But what matters is that your Core Magic is fire a powerful and dangerous force if not controlled."

"Great," Hiccup muttered under his breath.

"Now, who next?" said Flitwick looking around the class room. His eyes then lay on Astrid. "Ah, Miss Hofferson, how about you?"

Astrid got up and picked her axe up and walked to the front as Hiccup returned to his seat.

"Now do what I explained to Mr Haddock," said Flitwick.

Astrid nodded and placed her scratched, dark yellow, crystal eye in the slot in her wore out axe. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate. She then felt a powerful surge of energy passing through her body and heard the crackling of electricity around her.

She opened her eyes and gasped, because flowing around her body was sparks of electricity. Then there was a huge explosion that sent everyone off their feet.

"My d-dear," Flitwick coughed, as he brushed the soot off his beard. "You're lightning Core Magic seems to be as powerful as Mr Haddock's fire magic, though he was slightly better control over it."

This didn't make Astrid feel any better and she stormed up back to her seat.

"Right, Mr Keatson, let's see what you've got," said Flitwick.

Ragnar got up with a sword in hand. His sword looked like it was second hand with several scratched on it. In his other hand was a dark grey crystal.

"Mr Keastson, I believe you know what to do," said Flitwick.

Ragnar nodded, he then did the same thing that Hiccup and Astrid did. When he closed his eyes to concentrate, almost immediately, his body glowed with a strange light.

Astrid wasn't sure what was happening and from the looks on the other students neither did they. But Flitwick on the other hand was looking at Ragnar with amazement.

"Unbelievable," he said.

When Ragnar opened his eyes the light around him disappeared. He then noticed the look on Flitwick's face.

"What wrong?" He asked.

"My lad, your Core Magic is aura," said Flitwick. Ragnar apparently knew what he was talking about because his eyes were wide open. "Aura is one of the most powerful Core Magic in the world. I myself I'm one such user, but I never dreamed that I'll see another one in my life."

"Why's that sir?" Hiccup asked.

"Because it's just rare as it is powerful," Flitwick explained.

If Core Magic wasn't degrading enough, Transfiguration was even worse.

Phlegma the Fierce was a just as her brothers described, her strict and cleave, she gave them a talking-to the moment they had sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is a useful brand of magic, but it is complex and dangerous you will lean at Berk," she said. "And I am warning you if anyone messes around they will be kicked out."

Then she turned a one of the tables in the room into a pig and back again. However they soon learned that they wouldn't be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After making a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. The only person that was able to succeed was Ragnar, much Astrid announce, things got worse when Phlegma showed the match to the whole class and gave Ragnar a rare smile.

The class that Astrid, along with everyone else, was looking forward to was Combat Arts, but it turned out to be a bit of a joke. Quirrel the Quivering's class was located in the arena at the side of a cliff and it was where they'd lean to defend themselves against other Vikings and Valkyries, dark creatures and lean how to bond with their own dragon.

However, Quirrel spent most of the time discussing theory side of it and hardly any practical work. When asked where he got his weird helmet, he said that he got it from Dwarf chief in Norway after taking down a Dark Elf, but when Tuffnut asked him to tell the story he went bright pink and started talking about the weather. An odd smell came from his helmet and Astrid's twin brothers insisted it was full of Dragon Nip to calm down any wild dragon that came close to him.

* * *

On Friday, Astrid was in the Great Hall having lunch when she saw something that surprised her. She saw Hiccup and Ragnar entering without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Hiccup asked Ragnar as he poured sugar over his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ragnar after checking his timetable. "Grabbit the Grim is Head of Slytherins house isn't her?"

"Yeah, and my brothers have told he that he favours them," said Astrid before taking a bit of bacon.

"Whoa, I didn't know that you like speaking to us," said Ragnar in a surprised tone.

"Watch it," she said, giving him a death glare.

"I just wish that Phlegma favoured us," said Hiccup.

Just then, the post arrived. Astrid knew that the first morning that Hiccup was shocked when about a hundred Terrible Terrors had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall dropping letters and packages on the laps of their owners.

She also knew that Hiccup Terrible Terror, Shapshot, hadn't delivered anything so far. However he landed in front of Hiccup and dropped a note on his lap. Hiccup tore it open at once and Astrid leaned in a bit in case he told Ragnar what the letter was about.

"It's from Gobber," he said to Ragnar. "He's asked me to come to his place for a mug of coffee later today."

"Mind if I come with you?" Ragnar asked.

"No problem," said Hiccup as he wrote a reply.

Once he placed the note back on Sharpshot's leg he flew off.

* * *

The Potion lesson was located at the dungeons under the castle. It was very creepy even without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Grabbit the Grim entered the room, with an unhappy look on his face, and noticed Hiccup the moment he entered.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Hiccup Haddock. Our new…_celebrity_."

Astrid saw Snotlout and his friends Dogsbreath and Clueless sniggering in the corner of the class room.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. The moment that Grabbit talked, Astrid knew this was a guy she wouldn't like. "Many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death… if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"Then I guess that the Slytherins will be gone tomorrow," Ragnar whispered to Hiccup who snickered and Astrid herself had to force herself not to laugh.

Unfortunately Grabbit had ears like a bat and heard Ragnar's comment.

"Is there anything that you want to say, Mr Keatson?" Grabbit asked.

"Only that were pleased to have you for a teacher," Ragnar said.

"One point off Gryffindor for your cheek, Keatson," said Grabbit and then turned to Hiccup. "Well, Haddock let's see what you know. What would I get if I added powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Astrid didn't understand the question herself, but she could tell that Ragnar knew and that he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.

"I don't know, sir," said Hiccup.

"Let's try again. Where would you go looking for a bezoar, Haddock?"

Hiccup was looking embossed and Astrid noticed in the corner of her eye that Snotlout, Dogsbreath and Clueless were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Well, then do you know the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"No, sir."

"Then it appears fame isn't everything," said Grabbit. "And for your future reference, Haddock, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you copying this down?"

Everyone then began to pick up their quills and write down on parchment what Grabbit had just told them.

Things didn't improve as the lesson continued. Astrid was starting to like Grabbit even less if that was possible for some reason he picked on Hiccup and Ragnar more than anyone else, apart from Fishlegs who had melted the bottom of Warihog's cauldron. The failed potion seeped across the floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Everyone had to stand on their stools to avoid getting burnt though Fishlegs got drenched in the potion and was moaning in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Grabbit, as he used his water Core Magic to wash the spilled potion away. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Fishlegs didn't say anything and just moaned in pain as the boils popped.

"Take him up to Healing Centre," Grabbit snapped as Warihog. He then glared at Hiccup and Ragnar, who had been working next to Fishlegs. "Haddock, you should have told not to add the quills? Another point off of Gryffindor."

Astrid didn't like Hiccup, but she thought it was unfair that Gabbit picked on him when he couldn't have known the answer. Grabbit did the same thing to everyone criticising almost everyone except Snotlout, who he seemed to like, this made Snotlout even more smug.

She thought about joining Hiccup and Ragnar when they went round to Gobber, but decided against it. She might have felt sorry for him, but that didn't mean she should hang out with him.

* * *

After the lesson, Hiccup and Ragnar didn't waste any time to get out of the dungeons. They went outside where all the wooden house were scattered around, Ragnar told him that this is where all the staff lived when at Berk.

"So do you know where Gobber lives?" Ragnar asked.

"The note said that he's located near a cliff at the west of the fort and that there a forge in his house," said Hiccup.

"That shouldn't be too hard to find," said Ragnar.

Hiccup really like to have Ragnar around, he was the first friend he'd ever had, unless you count Gobber. Hiccup looked at the Gryffindor tattoo on his right forearm and it reminded him of his tattoo that was located over his heart.

They soon reached Gobber's house was like a workshop with weapons scattered around the place. They noticed that smoke was coming out of the chimney tell them that someone was in.

When they entered they saw Grump sleeping near the forge, occasionally snored reigniting the flame in the forge. What they saw next was a surprise.

Sitting at a table was Gobber and Phlegma the Fierce both drinking a mug of ale.

"Ah, Hiccup I see you've brought a friend with you," Gobber said once he noticed them.

"Uh, yeah," said a confused Hiccup.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but why is our Transfiguration Master here?" Ragnar asked.

"Why I was Valka's best friend when she was at Berk," said Phlegma placing her mug down.

"You and my mum were best friends," said Hiccup stunned.

"You don't have to sound too surprised," said Phlegma chuckling a bit.

"Sorry, it's just I'm still getting used to having friends," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his neck.

"From what I've seen from the Dalssons I'm surprised that you didn't run away," said Phlegma.

Wanting to change the subject, Hiccup looked around the room and spotted something that caught his interest. It was photo of five boys just about Hiccup age and they all had the Gryffindor tattoos on different parts of their boys.

Two of them were skinner and smaller than the others, two were big and buffy looking and the last one towered over them all. They all smiled and waved at Hiccup.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'll notice that," said Gobber as he placed two more mug on the table. "That was taken on our first day at Berk."

"Wait, you mean that's you and Hiccup's dad," said Ragnar almost spitting his coffee out.

"And I can't tell you how much trouble your father got into," said Phlegma shaking her head. "Val and I tried to stay away from you as much as possible."

"Who are the other three boys?" Hiccup asked.

Both Gobber and Phlegma looked at each other with looks of dreed on their faces.

"So, how was your first week?" Gobber asked wanting to change the subject.

Hiccup and Ragnar explained everything that happened over the past week, including Gabbit.

"Heyral really needs to talk about him," said Phlegma.

"He really seems to hate me," said Hiccup.

"I wouldn't worry about he hardly likes any of the students," said Gobber.

"Yeah, but he acts like he's got a grudge on me or something," said Hiccup.

Gobber and Phlegma looked at each other again trying to find a way to change the subject again. This time it was Ragnar who changed the subject, he had just noticed a cutting from the _Daily Prophet_.

"Hey, listen to this," he said and began to read it.

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LASTEST_

_Investigation continues into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of a dark Viking or Valkyrie unknown._

_Gringotts' Dwarfs today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

"_But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesdwarf this afternoon._

"Hey, Gobber and I were there on that day when we got my equipment," said Hiccup.

"Small world isn't it," said Ragnar placing the cutting down.

Hiccup had a feeling it wasn't a coincidence that the vault Gobber had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen on the day that an empty vault was broken it too. Knew he had more questions than any of the lessons he attended. What did Gobber take from the vault? Where was it now? And what were Gobber and Phlegma hiding from him.


	9. The Midnight Duel

Hiccup was starting to really hate Snotlout, even more than Olaf. Part of him was afraid what would happen if those two ever met. Luckily for him that Gryffindor only had Potions the Skytherins, so they didn't see much of him. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room which made them all groan. Dragon Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Great, just what I wanted. To make a fool myself in front of Snotlout," said Hiccup darkly.

"I wouldn't be too sure," said Ragnar. "He brags about that he always narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. I bet he's never even rode on a dragon."

Ragnar had a point; Snotlout had always been complaining that first-years never get to join their house in Dragon Racing. He wasn't the only one; Wartihog Brandir said that he spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his mother's Timberjack. Even Astrid would say that she rode on her father's Deadly Nadder, which seems to be her family's dragon of choice, and almost hit a hang-glider.

Fishlegs on the other hand had never been on a dragon in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Hiccup felt that she might of have a point since Fishlegs had a large number of accidences even when his feet were on the ground. Also he mentioned to Hiccup and Ragnar that he was afraid of heights ever since his great-uncle Algie pushed him off the Blackpool pier.

Hiccup hadn't had a single letter since Gobber's note, something that Snotlout had been quick to notice. Whenever Snotlout's purple Terrible Terror, Pain, brought him a package from home, he would open it at the Slytherin table for Hiccup to see.

A Iggy then brought Fishlegs a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"Isn't that a Remembrall?" Ragnar asked looking at the glass ball. "I've read about them. When the smoke inside turned red it means you've forgotten something."

At that moment the white smoke in the Remembrall turned red.

"The only problem is that I can't remember what I've forgotten," said Fishlegs with a puzzled look on his face.

Then hand appeared and grabbed the Remembrall. They all looked around and saw Snotlout with the Remembrall in his hand.

Hiccup, Ragnar and Astrid jumped onto their feet. All three of them were hoping for a reason to fight Snotlout, though Hiccup wasn't as confident as the other two, when Phlegma the Fierce walked up. She gave them a powerful death glare.

"What going on?" She demanded.

"Snotlout's got my Remembrall, ma'am."

Snotlout, not wanting to get on the wrong side of Phlegma, placed the Remembrall on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Dogsbreath and Clueless behind him.

Astrid looked at the two of them, huffed and walked away.

"She sure has a lot of pride," Ragnar noted.

"I just wish we would be friends," Hiccup sighed.

"Or something more," said Ragnar, with a sly grin on his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Hiccup, with his face blushing.

* * *

At three-thirty that afternoon, Hiccup, Ragnar and the other Grffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds and marched over to the dragon landing areas. To Hiccup they looked like Helicopter pads only slightly bigger.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty Deadly Nadders. Hiccup heard Trouble and Double talk to Astrid complaining about the school brooms, saying that they make the dragons uncomfortable and slowing them down when making tight turns.

Their Dragon Flying Master, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Welcome to your first Dragon Flying lesson," she said. "Now all of you should know the basics when it comes with dragon bonding, but these dragons have been trained to follow their riders orders without question. So, choice a dragon and let's get started."

Hiccup stood next to a blue and orange coloured scaled one. That when he noticed that the saddle was wore down and leather was sticking out in places.

"Now, you first need to start with trusting your chosen dragon," said Madam Hooch.

"But you said that these dragons will follow our orders without question," said Snotlout.

"They still need to trust you," said Madam Hooch. "Now just stick the palm of your hand out in front and let the dragon place its snort on it."

Everyone did as they were told. Almost admittedly the Deadly Nadder in front of Hiccup placed its snort into the palm of his hand. It was the only one that did it right away, Ragnar and Astrid's took about thirty seconds, Snotlout's took over a minute and Fishlegs took five mintues.

Hiccup guessed they were like houses and could sense fear. He himself was a bit afraid, but the moment it touch his hand all that fear disappeared, he looked at the dragon and began to wonder why he was scared of it in the first place.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off them and that if a dragon had never had anyone on its back to spread its dry hide with saliva to make it more relaxed. She then walked around to make sure everyone had down it right, she awarded Hiccup twenty points for mounting his dragon correctly. She also told Snotlout that he'd been mounting incorrectly for years, which delighted Hiccup and Ragnar, Astrid herself smiled at the sight of it as well.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you'll take off hard," said Madam Hooch. "Then have your dragons hover about five feet in the air and come back down. On my whistle, three, two—"

However, Fishlegs jumped the gun and took off before the whistle touch Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" She shouted, but Fishlegs was going so fast he looked like he was a bullet that had been fired from a gun. He reached twenty feet into the air and his dragon suddenly began doing tricks like a corkscrew, loop de lops and an upward spiral. Doing all these tricks coursed Fishlegs to fall of it and landed on the ground face down with a nasty thud.

The dragon then land back onto the ground, after noticing that it had just lost its rider, and went to check on Fishlegs.

Madam Hooch bent over Fishlegs, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," she muttered. "Come on, boy… it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the Healing Centre! You leave those dragons alone or you'll be out of Berk before you can say 'Dragon Racing'. Come one, dear."

Fishlegs clutched his wrist and hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around her which was quite a feat since Fishlegs was so chubby.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Snotlout burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Snotlout," snapped Agatha Berdis.

"Ooh, sticking up for Fishlegs are we?" said Rubbella Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought _you'd_ like big fat cry-babies, Agatha."

"I'd watch it Rubbella or you'll find yourself in the Healing Centre with Fishlegs," warned Astrid.

"Look!" said Snotlout, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Fishlegs' gran sent him." The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up. "Maybe if he gave this a squeeze he'll remember to fall on his fat ass."

The Slytherins laughed again.

"Maybe you should squeeze it maybe you'll be able to find your brain," said Ragnar.

This time the Gryffindors laughed.

"I suggest that you give it here, Snotlout," said Hiccup.

Snotlout gave him a nasty smile.

"No, I think I'll put in a place for Fishlegs to find," said Snotlout hopping on his green and yellow Deadly Nadder and took off. "How about on the roof!"

Snotlout didn't lie when he said he could fly a dragon or at least hover on one. He flew up higher into the air.

"What's the matter, Hiccup? A bit beyond your reach!" He yelled.

Hiccup ran to his Deadly Nadder and began to mount it, but Astrid stopped him.

"Hiccup, no!" She shouted. "You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides you don't even know how to fly that thing."

Hiccup ignored her and took off on his Deadly Nadder.

"What an idiot," said Astrid as Hiccup flew up towards Snotlout.

This was a different feeling entirely, he'd never felt like this before. The heat of the sun on his skin and the wind rushing through his hair, he could also feel the dragons movement like he was a part of it, he felt so… free. It was then he realised that he found something that he could do without being taught. He then ordered the dragon to go higher and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and admiring whoops from Ragnar, Tuffnut and Wartihog.

He turned his dragon sharply to face Snotlout in mid-air. Snotlout was stunned; he could believe that a Viking, who lived with Muggles for ten years without knowing that dragon excited, could out fly him.

"Give it here, Snotlout, or I'll knock you off that dragon!" Hiccup warned.

"Oh, yeah?" said Snotlout, trying to sneer, but looked worried.

"Spine shot!" Hiccup yelled.

The Deadly Nadder he was riding then fired several spikes from its tail at Snotlout. Snotlout only just dodged them and saw Hiccup charging towards, he quickly made the dragon drop a bit to avoid him. Hiccup made a sharp about turn and ordered the dragon to hover. A few people below were clapping.

"This is your last warning, next time you won't be so luck," Hiccup called.

Snotlout was thinking the same thing and decided to cut his losses.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and threw the Remembrall into the air and streaked back towards the ground.

Hiccup didn't waste any time and chased after it. He ordered his dragon to dive down after it. People began to screaming fearing that he could crash into the ground. The Remembrall and Hiccup were getting close to the ground… he stretched his hand out… a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to order the dragon to pull up, and landed gently on to the grass with the Remembrall in his hand.

Unknown to him Phlegma the Fierce had been looking out of her window just as he began to chase after the Remembrall. She quickly rushed out of her house and ran toward the landing areas yelling.

"HICCUP HADDOCK!"

Hiccup turned around and his heart sank faster than he'd just dived.

"_Never_… in all my time in Berk…"

Phlegma was almost speechless with shock, and her eyes flashed furiously, "…how _dare_ you… might have broken your neck…"

"It wasn't his fault, ma'am—"

"Be quiet, Miss Berdis—"

"But Snotlout—"

"That's _enough_, Mr Keatson. Hiccup, follow me, now."

Hiccup caught sight of Snotlout, Dogsbreath and Clueless' triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Phlegma wake as she strode towards the mountain. He had a feeling he was going to get expelled, he knew it. He wanted to explain to Phlegma that Snotlout was the one at fault, but his voice failed him. She didn't even look at him, which made Hiccup even more nervous than he already was. It didn't look good for him, he hadn't even been here for two weeks and he'll be packing his bags in about ten minutes.

They soon pasted the Great Hall, up some staircases and along a corridor. Hiccup was wondering where they were going. All this suspense was killing him, not that he was excited about getting expelled.

Phlegma stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me, Flitwick, could I borrow Eret for a moment?"

Then a burly fifth-year boy with black haired that was tired in a sort of ponytail came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"Follow me, you two," said Phlegma, and they marched on up the corridor, Eret looking curiously at Hiccup. No doubt wondering why a small scrawny first-year was with them.

"In here."

Phlegma pointed them into a classroom which was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Phlegma slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.

"Hiccup, this is Eret Eretson, Eret…I've found you a Seeker."

Eret expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious, ma'am?"

"Absolutely," said Phlegma crisply. "The boy's a natural just like his mother. Was that your first time on a dragon, Hiccup?"

Hiccup nodded silently. He did expert this to happen and he had no idea what they were talking about either, but he guested he wasn't getting expelled.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Phlegma told Eret. "Didn't even scratch himself Riptide Hofferson couldn't have do that. I fact the only person I've seen that could do that was Valka Evenson."

Eret was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

"Ever seen Dragon Racing before, Hiccup?" He asked excitedly.

"Eret's captain of the Gryffindor team," Phlegma explained.

"He's exactly the right build for a Seeker, too," said Eret, now walking around Hiccup and staring at him. "Light… speedy… I'd say that his dragon should either be a Deadly Nadder or one of the Strike Class. He's also need a decent saddle… a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"I shall speak to Heyral and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. By the gods of Valhalla, we need a better team than last year. _Flattered_ in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Grabbit in the face for weeks…"

Phlegma stopped herself and looked at Hiccup, with a powerful death glare.

"I want you to hear you're training hard, Haddock, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Both your parents were Dragon Racing players as well. Your mother was the Seeker, she could out fly anyone on her Stormcutter, your father on the other was the captain and chaser, and he slammed into his opponents on his Rumblehorn like they weren't even there. They'd be so proud of you."

* * *

"You're kidding."

It was dinner time. Hiccup had just finished telling Ragnar what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Phlegma. Ragnar was looking at him like he'd just fallen from space.

"Seeker?" He said. "But first-years never make the house teams. You must be the youngest Dragon Racer in a—"

"Century," Hiccup finished as he took a bit of pie. "Eret told me."

"Guess with your parents such great player it was to be expected," Ragnar said as he took a bit from a chicken wing. "So when do you start training?"

"Next week," said Hiccup. "Only don't tell anyone, Eret wants to keep it a secret."

"Don't worry you can trust me."

Then Double and Trouble entered the Great Hall, they spotted Hiccup and hurried over to him.

"Well done," said Trouble in a low voice. "Eret just told us."

"Aren't you guys on the team to?" Ragnar asked,

"Yeah, we're Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Dragon Race Cup for sure this year," said Double. "We haven't won since Riptide left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Hiccup, Eret was almost skipping when he told us."

"Oh, but I'd stay clear of Astrid, she's quite angry that you've become a Dragon Racer," said Trouble.

"Anyway, our pal Lock Jordson reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the academy."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Garth the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Double and Trouble hardly left when someone far less welcome turned up: Snotlout, flanked by Dogsbreath and Clueless.

"Having a last meal, Useless?" Snotlout sneered.

"Useless? You do realise that we don't get titles until we leave Berk," Ragnar reminded.

"But it fits him so well," said Snotlout. "After all I bet you'll be getting the train back to the Muggles won't you."

"No, I talked my way out of it," said Hiccup coolly. "And I see you're a lot braver now you have your two on the ground."

Hiccup knew that Snotlout and his sidekicks couldn't do anything with the High Table full of powerful Vikings and Valkyries.

"I don't need a dragon to take you on," said Snotlout. "Tonight, if you want. Viking duel. Crystal eyes and one weapon each only. What's the matter? Never heard of a Viking duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ragnar, wheeling round. "I'm his second, who's yours?

Snotlout looked at Dogsbreath and Clueless, sizing them up.

"Dogsbreath," he said at last. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked?"

When Snotlout and his two sidekicks left, Hiccup looked at Ragnar looked at each other.

"What's is a Viking duel?" Hiccup asked. "And what do you mean, you're my second."

"Well, from what I've read about Viking duels, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ragnar casually. Hiccup just stared worry at him, Ragnar caught the look on his face and added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real Vikings. The most you and Snotlout'll be able to do is send sparks of flames at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"But last I check he uses a mace as a weapon and can use the same kind of Core Magic as me," Hiccup reminded. "He's also stronger than me, so what do I do if nothing happens."

"Kick him in-between the legs," Ragnar suggested.

"Excuse me."

They both looked up and saw the face of a very angry Astrid Hofferson.

"You do like to sneak up on people," said Ragnar.

"Only the ones that deserve it," she said. She then turned and looked at Hiccup like she wanted to strangle him. "Not only do I hear that you're on the Dragon Racing team, but knew you're going to fight Snotlout in a duel."

"What it to you?" Ragnar asked, getting tired of this conversion.

"Don't you realise that if you get caught that you'll cause Gryffindor to lose a whole lot of points. It's really very selfish of you."

"And last I check it wasn't your business," said Hiccup.

"Goodbye," said Ragnar.

They then left the Great Hall, leaving a very annoyed Astrid behind.

* * *

Ragnar was lying in his bed ready to leave for the Viking duel. He'd spent all the evening giving Hiccup advice and did some sparing practise with him. They both knew that they could get caught by Mildew and Fungus. Ragnar had asked him if he wanted to blackout, but he shook his head and said, "This is his big chance to beat Snotlout, face to face, and he wasn't going to miss it."

Ragnar looked at his watch and saw that it was half past eleven. He then walked over to Hiccup's bed, who was wide awake also, and told him it was time to go.

They pulled on their dressing-gowns, picked up their weapons and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "Are you seriously going through with this?"

A lamp flickered on. It was Astrid Hofferson, wearing a blue dressing-gown and one of her famous death glares.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Ragnar asked.

"I almost told my brother," Astrid snapped. "You know Sven the Perfect."

Ever since he knew he could use aura Core Magic, Flitwick had been teaching him how to use it. He could now us it sense people around and able to read their emotions, which was something he'd down without knowing it. He could tell that Astrid was serious about telling her brother about them, that she was furious at them and also that she was trying it hide something, not only from them but from herself as well.

He then looked at his watch and realised that they'd just wasted five minutes.

"Come on," he said to Hiccup. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Valkyrie and climbed through the hole.

Astrid apparently wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed him and Hiccup through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you _only_ care about yourselevs, I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup and you'll lose all the points I got from Quirrell about how to train and bond with a Deadly Nadder."

"Then maybe if you stay in the common room you won't get caught and won't make Gryffindor o lose even more points," Ragnar advice.

"Fine, but be it on your own head," she said.

Astrid turned around planning to renter the common room, but the portrait of the Fat Valkyrie was empty. Apparently she had gone on a night-time visit which meant that Astrid wouldn't renter the common room.

"Now what am I going to do?" She asked trying to control her rage.

"I don't know, but we've got some place to be," said Ragnar, who was smirking a bit.

They were about to leave, but all of a sudden Astrid decided to join them.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"Want to see my Vikingness at action?" Hiccup joked.

"No," she said glaring at him. "I just don't want to stand around and wait for Mildew to catch me. Besides if my some miracle that you do beat him I'd like to see his face."

Hiccup blinked and looked at Ragnar. "Did she just say she like to hang out with us?" He whispered.

Ragnar looked back at Astrid, who wasn't showing any emotion apart from annoys and anger.

"It's hard to tell," he said.

They arrived at the trophy room, which was located on the third floor, exactly on mid-night. The only problem was that Snotlout and Dogsbreath were nowhere to be seen. Ragnar had a bad feeling about this and used his aura magic to check if there was anyone nearby.

"Looks like he's chickened out," said Hiccup.

"You surprised?" Astrid asked.

At that moment Ragnar sense two auras coming towards them and it wasn't Snotlout and Dogsbreath, it was Mildew and Fungus.

"Quick hide, Mildew is coming this way," said Ragnar.

Without a second thought the three of them scurried silently towards the door away from Mildew's approaching steps. Ragnar saw that Mildew and Fungus' aura had just entered the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere, Fungus," he heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

"This way!" Hiccup mouthed to them.

They began to creep down a long gallery full of stone statues. They could hear Mildew getting nearer. As they creep along the gallery, Hiccup accidently knocked over an axe that landed on the ground with a massive crash.

"RUN!" Astrid yelled.

The three of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Mildew was following them. Ragnar was too busy running to use his aura magic to sense if they were being followed. Hiccup was leading them and Ragnar could tell he had no idea where he was going. They'd stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

"I think we've lost him," Hiccup panted, leaning against the wall and wiping his forehead.

Ragnar had to agree, but he was puffed to say so.

"I…told…you…so," Astrid gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest. Ragnar didn't need his aura magic to tell that she was very angry at the two of them.

"Let's just try and get make to the common room before Mildew and his pet sheep find us," Ragnar said at last.

"Snotlout tricked you," Astrid said to Hiccup in a very annoyed tone. "Figures he'd had to use dirty tricks to get you in trouble. He must have tipped Mildew off that you two would be in the trophy room."

Ragnar had the same thought, but he knew that Hiccup was already blaming himself and didn't want to make him feel any lower.

Then he used to aura magic again and saw that Mildew was getting closer.

"He's coming!" He yelled.

"Let's go," said Hiccup.

Once again they ran, but soon stopped when they slammed into a lock door.

"That is it!" Hiccup moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door. "We're done fore! This is the end!

They could hear footsteps; Mildew must be running as fast as he could towards them.

"Oh, get out of the way!" Astrid snarled. She shoved Hiccup out of the way and kicked the door so hard that it opened.

Without a second thought they rushed into the room and closed the door behind them.

"Anyone here, Fungus?" Mildew voice said. They were all holding their breath and Ragnar could sense that Mildew and Fungus' aura was fading away.

"Mildew's gone," Ragnar said.

"He probably thing that this door is locked," said Astrid.

"It was locked," Ragnar remained.

"And for good reason," said Hiccup.

Both Ragnar and Astrid turned to what Hiccup was looking at. They soon realised that they weren't in a room. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

Standing in front of them was a monstrous robotic dog, a robotic dog which filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, robotic red eyes; three noses, steaming and twitching in their direction; three drooling mouths, oil hanging in slippery ropes from sharp metal fangs.

The robotic dog was growling at them and all three of them screamed. They quickly opened the door not caring if Mildew was behind it and used all their strength to shut it, leaving the barking robotic dog behind it.

They then quickly ran back up to the seventh floor to the portrait if the Fat Valkyrie.

"Where on Midgard have you all been?" She asked, looking at their dressing-gowns hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that… pig snout, pig snout," Hiccup panted, and the portrait swung forwards. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling into the armchairs.

"What do they think they're going keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Hiccup.

Ragnar looked at Astrid and noticed that she had got both her breath and her bad temper back again.

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" She snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"Its feet?" Ragnar gasped, not believing what he was hearing. "I was too busy looking at its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice it had three."

"It was standing on a trapdoor. Which means it was put there to guard something."

"Guarding something?" said Hiccup looking confused.

She then stood up and glared at them.

"We'll I'm going to bed before you two get another idea to get us killed or worse expelled."

She then stormed off and they heard her slam the door of the girl's dormitory.

"She really needs to sort her priorities out," Ragnar said shaking his head in amusement.

Ragnar then looked at Hiccup, who just sat there in deep thought. Ragnar wasn't sure since he was a difficult guy to read, but he was sure that Hiccup had a feeling that he knew what that monstrous robotic dog was guarding.


	10. Hallowe'en

When Hiccup and Ragnar entered the Great Hall the next morning they couldn't help but notice Snootlout stunned face. They were both every tried that morning after nearly getting caught by Mildew and nearly got eaten alive by a giant robotic dog. They both agreed that meeting said giant robotic dog was an excellent adventure and they were quite keen to have another one. In the mea time, Hiccup explained to Ragnar about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Berk, and they spent a lot of time wondering what it could possibly be for it to have such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous, said Ragnar.

"Or both," said Hiccup.

But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Astrid didn't show the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. Though Ragnar informed him that she was just as interned as they we're. Either way she refused to talk to the both of them.

The other thing they wanted to do was get back at Snotlout, and to their delight, just such a thing arrived with the post about a week later.

As the Terrible Terrors flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a big looking package carried by six large Terrible Terrors. Hiccup was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel and was amazed when the Terrible Terrors soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another Terrible Terror dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Hiccup ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

_DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE. It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, bit I don't want everybody knowing you're got a saddle or they'll all want. Eret Eretson will meet you tonight at Dragon Stables at seven o'clock for your first training session._

_Phlegma the Fierce_

Hiccup had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ragnat to read.

"I've heard about it," said Ragnar looking at the parcel with amazement. "It's supposed to be the best saddle made yet."

They left the Great Hall quickly, wanting to unwarp the saddle in private before their first lesson, but halfway across the Grand Staircase was blocked by Snotlout, Dogsbreath and Clueless. Snotlout seized the package from Hiccup and felt it.

"That's a saddle," he said.

"Yeah, and last time I check it belonged to Hiccup," said Ragnar snacking the package back and gave it to Hiccup.

Hiccup noticed that his face was a mixture of jealousy and spite.

"You'll be for it this time, Useless, first-years aren't allowed them."

"It's not just any old saddle," said Ragnar, trying to hold back a smirk, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Snotlout, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ragnar grinned at Hiccup. "I've heard about them. They make you look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Keatson?" Snotlout snapped back. "You've never even seen or ride a dragon before coming here."

"It's called reading, you should try it sometime," Ragnar suggested.

Before Snotlout could react, Flitwick the Charmer appeared at Snotlout's elbow.

"I know that arguing is part of your tradition, but there is a limit boys," said Flitwick.

"Haddock's been sent a saddle, sir," said Snotlout quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Flitwick, beaming at Hiccup. "Phlegma told me all about the special circumstances, Mr Hiccup. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Hiccup, noticing the look of horror on Snotlout's face; he was going to enjoy this. "And it's really thanks to Snotlout here that I've got it," he added.

"Well, you're making your late parents proud," Flitwick said, before walking into the Great Hall.

Hiccup and Ragnar then headed upstairs, Ragnar was laughing at Snotlout's confused face as he tried to figure out what just happened. Hiccup couldn't help, but smile as well.

"Well, it's true," Hiccup chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase. "If he wasn't such a jerk I wouldn't be on the team…"

"So, you've got yourself a Nimbus Two Thousand saddle now, do you?" an angry voice asked. They looked behind them and saw Astrid fuming with angry as she stormed up towards them.

Hiccup didn't understand why she was always so angry at him all the time.

"Listen Astrid, I'm sorry that we almost got you killed, but can we be friends?" he asked.

"Friends… with you," she said half laughing. "Why would I be friends with someone that gets in trouble every five minutes and thinks that life's a game? I would personal like to live to see my next birthday."

"You know what you're problem Astrid?" Ragnar snapped.

"No! What?"

"It's that you consider everyone around you an obstacle and that you just have to push past it. Not only that, but your violent and competitive nature isn't very friendly as well. It's no wonder you have no friends."

"With friends like you who needs enemies?" said Astrid before she stormed off.

Hiccup just looked at Ragnar.

"You sure have a way with the lady's, Rag," he said.

"What? You know it's true."

* * *

Later that day, at seven o'clock, Hiccup was standing outside the Dragon Stables with his new saddle under his arm.

He heard a roar, looked up and two dragons flying down towards him.

The first one was forty eight feet big and had four wings. Its face had two long spines that branch off its nose and to the side and it have a smashed face, kind of like an owl. Its tail was also fin like. Its scales were woody brown, had a cream underbelly with blue highlights.

The second one was thirty nine big with large wings, a wide torso, and a tail with a club-like hammer on the tip. The front part of it was heavily armed and a large lower jaw, a battle axe-shaped muzzle. It looked like a mix of truffle pig, a rhinoceros, a battle axe, and a scarab beetle. Its scales were green and brown.

Hiccup recognised the species from his Book of Dragons book. They were a Stormcutter and Rumblehorn. He also noticed that riding on top of them were Phlegma and Eret.

"Glad you made it, Hiccup," said Eret as they landed.

"Why would I miss this?" Hiccup asked.

The moment that Phlegma and Eret got off their dragons, the two dragons walked over to Hiccup and began to nuzzle him.

"Uh… why are they so friendly to me?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"Because they were your parent's dragons," Phlegma explained. "They probably remember you when you were a baby."

"Wait, what?!" Hiccup gasped looking at the two dragons in amazement.

"You see Hiccup, when a dragon rider dies their dragons fly off to find a new rider," Eret explained as he placed a hand on the Rumblehorn. "When I was in my second-year I found Skullcrusher near Raven Point and he… took alike to me."

"Cloudjumper, came to me year after the war," said Phlegma in a sad tone. "I lost my dragon during the war and when Cloudjumper found me something just… clicked."

Hiccup wasn't sure what to say, he was looking at the dragons that his parents once rode and for some reason by looking at them he got a feeling he knew what his parents were like.

"But, we're here to find yourself a dragon," said Eret, bring Hiccup out of his thoughts.

They soon entered the stable and Hiccup was speechless. They were more dragons in here than the stable over the Leaky Cauldron. He saw a beautiful blue and yellow Deadly Nadder, there was a very angry looking red Monstrous Nightmare and even saw one that looked like a flying skeleton, but when he got a closer look he saw that it was wearing bone like some kind of armour, he guessed that one was a Boneknapper.

"Now, if you're going to be a Seeker then you'll need a fast dragon to ride on," said Eret looking at the dragons in the stable.

"How about a Deadly Nadder?" Phlegma suggested. "You were good on the one at your Dragon Flying lesson.

"No, it just didn't seem right," said Hiccup as he looked around.

He wasn't sure what to look at, but then he saw a dragon that caught his eye. It was about twenty six feet big and had black scales. Its body was sleek; the tail was similar to Cloudjumper and had a pair of giant, bat like, wings. It had ear-like plates on the back of its head and two yellowish-green, cat-like eyes that were simpler to his crystal eye. Then he realised that he was looking at a Night Fury.

Both Phlegma and Eret noticed that he was walking towards the Night Fury at and their face changed to horror.

"No, Hiccup stay away from that one," said Phlegma, with fear in her voice.

"Yeah, don't want to be anywhere near him," said Eret, showing the same kind of fear that Phlegma was showing.

"Why?" Hiccup asked.

"During the war, the Dragon Lord hunted down Night Furies because their crystal eyes are more powerful than any other kind," said Phlegma. "As far as we know this little guy is the only Night Fury left in the whole world."

"And because of that he doesn't trust many humans.

Hiccup stopped and looked at the Night Fury. He couldn't help but think that the two of them had so much in common and he knew that the Night Fury needed a friend more than anything.

"I have to try," said Hiccup looking at Phlegma and Eret.

"But, Hiccup…" Eret was stopped by Phlegma, who placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Let him do it," she said and Eret gave her a fun look. "He's just as stubborn as his father, so there's no talking him out of it."

She then walked up to a basket and pulled out a fish and tossed it to Hiccup.

"Feeding time is bonding time."

Hiccup nodded and slowly walked up to the Night Fury, held the fish out. The Night Fury saw him walking towards him and then saw the fish in his hands. He then slowly walking up to him, eyeing him every carefully, and slowly opened his mouth revealing soft, pink, toothless gums.

"Huh, toothless," Hiccup noticed. "I thought that all dragons had—" suddenly sharp teeth shot out of the dragon's gums, then he grabbed the fish and ate it just as fast, "—teeth!" He finished.

The Night Fury tiled its head and started walking over to Hiccup, who quickly backed up and was cornered towards the wall; he then fell to floor looking terrified.

Eret was about to run to help him, but Phlegma stopped him.

"I don't have anymore," Hiccup panicked.

The Night Fury looked like it was choking, but ended up spitting out half the fish that Hiccup gave him into his lap.

"Eew…" he winced looking at the half-eaten fish.

Hiccup watched as the Night Fury sat down on his hind legs staring at Hiccup again with his large and curious eyes. The Night Fury kept looking at the fish and back to Hiccup. It took a while but Hiccup understood what the Night Fury was saying. Hiccup sighed as he grabbed the slimy fish and raised it to his mouth hesitating slightly before he took a bite out of the fish. It tasted horrible, but he figured it wasn't a wise move to get a Night Fury angry since he read that they were the most dangerous dragons in the world.

Both Phlegma and Eret looked at each other with disguised looks on their faces.

Hiccup nodded and raised the fish towards the Night Fury pretending he liked it. The Night Fury made a swallowing sound making Hiccup's shoulders drop. Hiccup groaned, not believing he was about to do this, and swallowed the fish fighting the urge to throw up.

"Ugh…" he groaned.

Hiccup looked back at Toothless before giving him a weak smile. The Night Fury squinted a bit at Hiccup before the corners of his mouth raised as he attempted to smile too. Hiccup watched as the Night Fury gave him a toothless and gummy smile.

Hiccup remembered what Madam Hooch had said during his first Dragon Flying lesson and slowly and carefully Hiccup stretched out his hand trying to tough Toothless who moved his head back slightly and growled lowly at him. Taking a deep breath Hiccup bowed his head down and closed his eyes stretching out his hand once more.

After a small moment Hiccup cringed and he opened his eyes and saw Toothless with his eyes closed lightly pressing his snout into his hand. Both Phlegma and Eret looked amazed at the sight in front of them.

"The only human that dragon ever trusted was Valka," said Phlegma.

Hiccup eyes widen and looked at her. "Wait, my mum bonded with this guy?"

"No, ten years ago your mother found him in a forest abandoned when he was a hatchling," Phlegma said. "We could only guess that his parents were killed. She brought him here, but she was the only person that he would allow to get near him.

Hiccup couldn't believe what he was hearing; today he began to learn more about his parents than he had in ten years.

"He's going to need a name," said Eret.

Hiccup thought for moment and came up with one. "How about, Toothless?"

"You're really going to name the world's dangerous dragon Toothless?" Eret asked.

The newly named Toothless nuzzled Hiccup telling him that he like his new name.

"Well, he seems to like it," said Hiccup smiling.

"Eret, I think I can leave you to explain the rules to Hiccup," said Phlegma.

"Right, ma'ma," said Eret as she walked away.

He then turned to look at Hiccup. "Right, today I'll explain the rules to you and then you'll join the team practice three times a week."

He then walked over to Skullcrusher and pulled a crate that was attached to his saddle. He opened it and inside were four fifferent-sized balls.

"Right, Dragon Racing is easy enough to understand," Eret said, as he began to explain the rules of the game. "Each team has seven players: three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper and a Seeker. That's you."

He then pulled out a large white ball from the crate and tossed it over to Hiccup. "There are three kinds of ball; this one is called the Quaffle. It fly's around and multiples, the Chasers try to catch them and place them in the opposing team's basket to score. One Quaffle is worth ten points. The Keeper, that me, defends the basket. You with me so far?"

"So it's kind of like basketball, isn't it?" Hiccup said tossing the Quaffle back to Eret.

"What's basketball?" Eret asked curiously.

"Never mind," said Hiccup quickly. He then noticed two identical balls, dark blue and slightly smaller than the white Quaffle. He also noticed that they were trying to escape the straps that were holding them inside the box. "What are those?"

Eret placed the Quaffle back into the box and handed Hiccup with what looked like a rounders bat. "You better take this," he said. He then bent down and freed one of the balls

At once, the dark blue ball took off bounced off the walls of the stable, scaring a few of the dragons, and flew straight towards Hiccup.

Hiccup did the only thing he could think of and slammed the ball with the bat. He hit it and it flew straight out of the stable door.

"Not bad, Hiccup," said Eret looking impressed. "You'll make a far Beater."

Then the ball came zooming back into the stable and towards them.

"All no," said Eret before the ball slammed him in the chest.

He quickly pinned it to the ground, with some difficultly managed to force it the crate and strapped it down.

"What in the name of Thor's hammer was that thing?" Hiccup asked both amazed and scared.

"Bludger," Eret gasped. "They rocket around the pitch trying to knock people off their dragons. It's the job of the Beaters to both defend their team and send the Bludgers to the opposing team."

"Uh, have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?"

"Never at Berk. We've had a couple of broken jaws, but nothing worse than that. Now, let's get to your job. You don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers—"

"—unless they crack my head open."

"Don't worry, the Hofferson twins have never failed yet, it's the other team that has to worry about them."

Eret then pulled out the last ball from the crate. This one was the smallest of them all and jet black like Toothless scales. Hiccup also noticed that it had little jet black wings that were fluttering all over the place.

"This," said Eret, "It the Dark Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. This ball was made to mimic the behaviour of a Night Fury."

Hiccup couldn't help but look at the Snitch then to Toothless trying to compare the two.

"Meaning its cleaver, speedy and difficult to see, especially when it's dark or cloudy. It's your job, as a Seeker, to catch it before the other team Seeker does. That means you have to avoid the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers and Quaffle to get to it. The Seeker that catches it earns their team a hundred and fifty points and ends the game. That means the game can go on for a long time, in fact I believe the record for the longest Dragon Racing game is three months, so they had to keep bringing on substitutes so players could get some sleep."

"Oh, one more thing all the players, apart from the Beaters and Keepers, are allowed to bring their weapons and can use magic," said Eret. Then he noticed Hiccup's face and quickly added, "But they all have to be sheathed. And dragons have to fire they're attacks at their weakest. Also if you land in the water you're out of the match.

"What water?" Hiccup asked.

"You see the game takes place over the Dark Lake and if you fall in its game. You got that?"

Hiccup nodded and they spent the rest of the evening training for their match against Slytherin.

* * *

Hiccup couldn't believe that he'd been at Berk for two months, though he wished he wasn't so busy with homework and Dragon Racing practice. Ragnar had to help him with most of his homework because he was so busy.

It was Hallowe'en now and in the Great Hall they were having a massive feast. Hiccup noticed that Astrid was purposely avoiding him and Ragnar even since his new Nimbus Two Thousand saddle showed up, but tonight he didn't care he just wanted to enough the feast.

All around the Great Hall were a thousand living bats fluttering from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds. Jack-o'-lanterns were hovering overhead producing some kind of ghostly fire.

Hiccup was just helping himself to a candy apple when Quirrell the Quivering came sprinting into the Hall, his helmet askew and terror on his face as he screamed. "Troll in the dungeons!"

Silence filled the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Quirrel.

"Thought you ought to know," said Quirrell before fainting.

Everyone then panicked dropping everything and running for their lives, Hiccup noticed that in the commotion that Astrid slipped away without anyone noticing her.

"Silence!" Heyral the Wise roared and everyone calmed down and looked at him. "Even please not panic. Now, prefects lead your houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons."

Sven began leading the Gryffindors back to the common room and acting like he was the one in charge.

"How could a troll get in?" Hiccup asked.

"Not on its own, from what I've read they're really stupid," said Ragnar. "I'm guessing Peeves let it in for a Hallowe'en joke."

"We've got another problem," said Hiccup and Ragnar stared at him.

"What could be more troubling than a Troll wondering through Berk?" Ragnar asked, as if Hiccup had gone mad.

"I saw Astrid sneak off, while everyone was in an uproar."

"Well, maybe she ran back to the common room in fright," Ragnar suggested. Hiccup just raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, stupid idea. Wait, you don't think that she would—"

"I don't know, but I don't want to take a chance."

Somehow they managed to slip past Sven and the other Gryffindors. They just turned a corner into the corridor that led them to the girl toilets when they heard footsteps behind them.

"Sven?" Hiccup asked Ragnar knowing he could tell who it was with his aura magic.

"No, Grabbit!" Ragnar said pulling Hiccup behind a large stone dragon. They saw Grabbit cross the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing here?" Hiccup whispered. "I thought that Heyral was leading the other Task Masters to the dungeons."

"Search me."

"I think I'll keep my hands to myself."

They quietly, crept along the next corridor after Grabbit's fading footsteps.

"He's head for the third floor," Hiccup said, but Ragnar held up his hand.

"Can you smell something?"

Hiccup sniffed a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.

Then they a high, petrified scream and it sound every familiar.

They looked at each other. "Astrid!" they said together.

They quickly ran towards where they heard the screaming. Ragnar was leading and conformed what Hiccup feared. Astrid was in the girl's toilets and standing in front of her was the troll.

When they entered the toilet they saw Astrid pressed against the wall clutching her leg. Hiccup wasn't a healer, but he could tell that she had sprained ankle and her axe was a foot away from her.

In front of her stood a twelve foot tall troll. Its skin was dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible, it was even worse than Olaf's socks. It was holding a hide wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long. In other words it was Dogsbreaths big brother.

The troll then began to advance towards Astrid, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.

"Got any idea how we deal with this?" Ragnar asked.

"You confuse it, while I try and get Astrid out of here," Hiccup said, as he slowly made his way towards Astrid.

The troll looked down at Astrid angrily and raised its club ready to deal the final blow.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ragnar throwing a metal pipe at the troll.

The troll's skin was so thick it didn't seemed to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yelling and paused again, turning its ugly snout towards Ragnar instead, giving Hiccup time to get to Astrid.

"Come on, let's get out of here," said Hiccup as lifted one of her arms over his shoulder to support her.

"I didn't need your help," she said.

"No, you had everything under control," said Hiccup sarcastically.

The troll then swung its club at Ragnar, who created an aura shield just in time. The shield protected him from receiving a deadly blow, but was hit with enough force to send him into a wall. The troll then advanced towards him to finish him off.

It was then that Hiccup did something that was both very brave and very stupid: he placed Astrid safely against the wall; he then grabbed hold of the troll's club, landed onto the troll's head as it swung its club and fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll didn't feel him hanging there, but he did notice that Hiccup was using fire magic to burn its small head.

Howling in pain, the troll began to shake its head around and finally managed to grab Hiccup's leg. He held Hiccup upside down and began to swing its club at him.

"Do something!" Hiccup yelled as he narrowly avoided getting hit by the club.

"Like what?" Ragnar asked getting up.

"Anything!" Hiccup yelled and managed to avoid getting hit by the club again.

Ragnar then out stretched his arms out and then shot out some aura mist from them. The aura mist took the form of a hand and grabbed hold of the club just as the troll began to swing it at Hiccup.

The troll looked at its hand and notice that its club had disappeared. It looked up to see the club above its head being held up by so kind of strange mist. Then the mist around disappeared making the club land on its owners head, hard. He dropped Hiccup and fell face first onto the floor, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

The three of them stood around the troll speechless. Astrid looked at the two of them not believing what they had done.

"D-did you kill it?" she asked.

"No, I think it's just knocked out," said Hiccup.

Astrid looked at them not sure what to say.

"Why did you help me?" she asked. "I mean after everything I've gone?"

"It just felt like the right thing to do."

Astrid then limped over to him; her ankle was injured, and just stared at him. She then punched him in the arm, hard.

"Ow, what was that for?" said Hiccup rubbing his arm.

"That's for nearly getting yourself killed," Astrid said. Hiccup looked at Ragnar, who just shrugged. Next thing he knew was that Astrid had her arm out him, but quickly realised him. "And that's for everything else."

They then heard footsteps heading towards them. Before they could do anything else, Phlegma the Fierce had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Grabbit, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.

Grabbit bent over the troll. Phlegma was looking at Ragnar and Hiccup; she looked both angry and shocked at the sight before her.

"Explain yourselevs both of you," she said, with clod fury in her voice.

"It's my fault, ma'am," said Astrid.

"Miss Hofferson!"

"I went looking for the troll because I-I thought I could deal with it on my own. If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Hiccup gave it some nasty burns and Ragnar knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

"Well—in that case…" said Phlegma, staring at the three of them. "I'm very disappointed in you Miss Hofferson; five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgment."

She then turned to Hiccup and Ragnar.

"As for you two, I just hope you know how luckily you are, not many first-years could take on a full-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale," she said, "five points… will be awarded to each of you. For sheer dumb luck."

She then noticed Astrid sprained ankle.

"You two take Miss Hofferson to the Healing centre."

Ragnar picked up her axe and together, he and Hiccup carried Astrid away.

As they walked down the corridor Astrid looked at the both them and said, "Thanks."

For that moment on Astrid Hofferson became the best of friends with the two of them. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.


	11. Dragon Racing

**Please not I've decided to change Iggy into Terrible Terror and said that they're the only recommended pets.**

* * *

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The Grand Mountain had started to get covered in snow and the Black Lake was iced over. Bucket and Mulch had to hack the ice at the Dragon Racing pitch so they could actually play.

The Dragon Racing season had begun. On Saturday, Hiccup would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship.

Hardly anyone had seen Hiccup play because Eret had decided that, as their secret weapon, Hiccup should, well, secret. However the news about him playing Seeker had somehow leaked out, though they knew nothing about Toothless.

Astrid was now fully healed and spent most of her time with Hiccup and Ragnar. She had to admit that she was wrong about him. When she first saw him she thought that he'd be a fame seeker glory hog, but know she found that he was just a humble Viking trying to make his place in the world. It was also luck that she now had Ragnar as a friend because he'd really helped her out with her homework. Astrid also lent Hiccup her _Dragon Racing through the Ages_ book to make himself more relax.

Hiccup had learnt that before they used enchanted balls they'd use sheep; that Seekers were usually smallest and fastest players and that most serious Dragon Racing accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died taking part in Dragon Racing, referees had been known to vanish and turned up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Astrid had only seen Toothless once and he seemed to like her the moment he saw her. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Hiccup, but decided not to mention it since he was as nervous as Quirrell.

The day before Hiccup's first Dragon Racing match the three of them were out in the freezing village. Hiccup was keeping them warm with a small flame in one hand and was reading him _Dragon Racing through the Ages_ in the other. Then they saw Grabbit limping towards them and Hiccup quickly dispelled the flames. Thought it wasn't the flames that caught his eye it was the book in his hand.

"What's that you've there, Haddock?"

Hiccup showed him the book in his hand.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Grabbit and began to snatch the book from him. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"But sir, it's not a library book it's mine," said Astrid.

Grabbit glared at her and limped away.

"He didn't even return the points he took from us," said Ragnar angrily.

"And he's making up rules," Astrid added.

"I wonder what's wrong with his leg," Hiccup said noticing him limping away.

"Dunno, but he was heading to the third floor on Halloween," Hiccup reminded.

"What's that got to do with it?" Astrid asked. Then she realised what he was getting at. "Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying."

"I'm afraid so, I think that he let that troll in to create a diversion so he could get past that three head robot dog, but he got bitted and that's why he's limping."

"A sound theory, but I like to know what's so important that thing is guarding," said Ragnar.

All three of them didn't know, all they know was that it was the package that Hiccup saw Gobber take from vault seven hundred and thirteen.

* * *

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Dragon Racing match.

Hiccup was feeling anything, but excitement. He was feeling nervous and worried that he'd let his team down. His follow Gryffindors were trying to get him to eat his breakfast with little success.

"You've got to eat some breakfast," said Ragnar.

"I don't want anything," said Hiccup not touching the food on his table.

"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Astrid.

"I'm not hungry."

"You've going to need your strength," said Wartihog.

"Yeah, the Seekers are always the ones who get nobbled by the other team," Fishlegs added.

"Thank you, Fishlegs," said Hiccup sarcastically.

"Anything to help," said Fishlegs, who failed to grasp his sarcasm.

"Come one, Hiccup," said Tuffnut. "You've survived the Dragon Lord when you were a baby and took on a mountain troll. What's a game Dragon Racing game?"

* * *

Despite his nervous, by eleven o'clock the whole school were out on the Dark Lake at the Dragon Racing arena.

The arena wasn't really an arena; it was a bunch of bleacher circling a safety net that lay just below the water. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Astrid and Ragnar joined Fishlegs, Wartihog and the Thorston twins up in the top row. As a surprise for Hiccup, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said _Haddock for President_ and Wartihog, who was good at drawing, had done a large Night Fury underneath. Then Ragnar used some of his aura magic to make the paint flash different colours.

Meanwhile, in the changing rooms, Hiccup and the rest of the team were putting scarlet face paint on themselves their dragons (Slytherin would be playing in green).

Eret cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, guys, this is it," he said.

"The big one," said Double Hofferson.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said Trouble.

"We know Eret's speech by heart," Double told Hiccup. "We were in the team last year."

"Shut up, you two," said Eret. "If we follow the strategy we'll wing. I know it."

"Eret has been nicknamed the Trapper," Chaser Ase Jerkson told Hiccup. "His plans always trap his opponents."

"Just stick to the plan and let's win this thing."

The entire team cheered, got on their dragons and flew into the arena.

Up in the stands the Hofferson twins' friend, Lock Jordson, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Phlegma the Fierce.

"Welcome to the first Dragon Racing match of the season Gryffindor versus Slytherin, now let's meet the team. In red we have Gryffindor and first up is their captain and Keeper, Eret Eretson, and his Rumblehorn, Skullcrusher. He's been followed by the Chasers, Ase Jerkson and her Monstrous Nightmare, Fireworm, Alfhild Spinson and her Thunderdrum, Boom and Kari Bellson along with her Hobblegrunt, Gruff. Their being followed by their Beaters Double and Trouble Hofferson and their Deadly Nadders Spike and Strike and lastly their Seeker riding on the unholy offspring of lighting and death itself, Hiccup Haddock and his Night Fury, Toothless!"

There was giant cheer as the Gryffindors team flew into the arena. Hiccup saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Haddock for President over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.

"Now let's welcome the regaining champs flying in green, Slytherin." All Gryffindors and most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws booed. "Their captain and their lead Chaser, Dagur Owson, and his Skrill, Deathwing and his being followed by the other two Chasers, Grath Montson and Asger Pucson, and their riding their Monstrous Nightmares, Lavershot and Fangcrusher. Next is their Keeper, Manning Betchson, riding his Gronckle, Stomper. Next up is their Beaters, Olin Derson and Loki Boleson, riding on their Hideous Zippleback, Blindshot and Killerfire and lastly their Seeker, Tore Higgson, and his Grapple Grounder, Eggbiter."

The Slytherin cheered as their team flew out into the arena and hovered in front of the Gryffindors team. Hiccup looked at their captain; he was a tall and lanky sixth-year, but he had a mad look in his eye.

Madam Hooch then came flying in on her Timberjack, Stokehead. On Stokehead's back was the crate holding the balls.

"Here comes Madam Hooch to referee the game," said Lock Jordson.

Madam Hooch hovered in-between the two teams. "Now, I want a nice fair game, from all of you," she said glaring at Dagur.

"Get ready," She said, as she placed a hand on the crate. "Get set." She then unlocked it. "Go!"

The moment she opened the crate all the balls shot out. The Quaffle multiplied and flew into different directions, the Bludgers circled around the pitch, looking as if they were trying to find the perfect target, and the Snitch disappeared from sight.

All the plays took up their positions; Hiccup position was hovering about forty feet in the air. Eret had told him to keep out of the way until he saw the Snitch and to help the team out of he could. He was also listening to Lock Jordson commentary.

"One of the Quaffles is taken by Ase Jerkson of Gryffindor… what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too—"

"JORDSON!"

"Sorry, ma'am."

Hiccup couldn't help, but chuckle as Phlegma gave, Lock Jordson, one of her faces death glares. Then Olin Derson and Loki Boleson Hideous Zippleback split into two separate dragons.

"What just happened?" Tuffnut asked in shock.

"Oh, the Hideous Zippleback along with other dragons with multiple heads are able to spilt apart," Fishlegs explained.

"Cool, I want one!"

Ruffnut was too busy looking at Eret and saying 'what a hunk he is'.

They then heard Lock Jordson continued doing his commentary.

"Jerkson is really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alfhild Spinson, a good find of Eret Eretson, last year only a reserve—back to Jerkson and—no, Dagur Owson has shot a lighting blast blocking her and he's taken another Quaffle and is off—that Skrill of his is fast and he shots—no, stopped by Eret Eretson. Oh, but Gryffindor has got two at the same time and their making their way to the enemy basket and they both shot—and Kari Bellson scores while the Slytherin keeper was too busy stopping the other Quaffle. Oh, but Asger Pucson has got a Quaffle and is speeding towards the goalposts, but Trouble Hofferson fired a perfect spine shot and that's followed by Bludge, knocking Asger Pucson off Fangcrusher and landed in the water below, he's out of the game. Jerkson has caught the Quaffle and his heading towards the goalposts, but Dagur is firing so dangerous lighting magic at her. Oh, it's been countered by a plasma blast from Hiccup Haddock's Night Fury, Toothless. Dagur's complaining that Haddock shouldn't be attacking him, but the rule books statues that the like the Beaters the Seeker can defend his teammates as long as he doesn't attack any the enemy teammates directly. Oh, and Jerkson looks like she going to sc—and she has, GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

"Budge up there, move along."

"Gobber!"

Astrid and Ragnar squeezed together to give Gobber enough space to join them.

"Decided to join you lot," said Gobber, patting a large pair of binoculars round his neck. "I see there's still no sigh of the Snitch."

"Nope," said Astrid. "But you should've seen that block he did."

"Oh, I did and his mother couldn't have pulled it off any better," said Gobber, raising his binoculars and peering skywards at the speck that was Hiccup.

Hiccup was still keeping an eye out for the Snitch and he could tell that Toothless was getting inpatient.

"Easy there, bud," said Hiccup. "We'll get our chance."

That when he saw a Bludger heading towards him, it was more like a cannon ball in his opinion, but he was move forced into dodging it than anything else and Double zoomed past him chasing after it.

"All right there, Hiccup?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously towards Dagur Owson.

"Slytherins in possession with another Quaffle," Lock Jordson was saying. "Chaser Grath Montson ducks two Bludgers, two Hofferson and Chaser Kari Bellson and sppeds towards the—wait a moment—was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Grath Montson dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that passed his left ear to see the mace that Alfhild Spinson holding and slammed straight into it, knocking him into the water below.

Hiccup didn't waste a single second and zoomed after it on Toothless. Slytherin Seeker Tore Higgson had seen it too. Neck and neck they hurtled towards the Snitch. They both drew their swords and began to do a mid-air duel. Somehow, Hiccup managed to hit him on the head. That make him fall back a bit and it would seem that he would get the Snitch, but Dagur Owson had blocked him on purpose, Hiccup had almost fallen into the water, but luckily Toothless was able to keep them airborne, barely.

All the Gryffindors we're in a fit of rage.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

"Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Dagur and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Dark Snitch had disappeared from sight again.

In the stands, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were yelling, "Send him off! Red card!"

"This isn't football, guys," Astrid reminded them. "You can't send people off in Dragon Racing unless they hit the water. What's a red card anyway?"

But Gobber was on the twins side.

"They oughta change the rules; Dagur coulda knocked Hiccup outta the air."

"He's desperate, he's the only Chaser left on the Slytherins team," Ragnar said.

"Yeah, and if they get the Snitch they win," Astrid added.

Lock Jordson was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"So…after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating—"

"Jordson!" growled Phlegma.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul—"

"Jordson, I'm warning you—"

"All right, all right. Dagur nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could have happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinson, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

Then suddenly Hiccup noticed that Toothless was flying strangely. Toothless began shake suddenly and spinning, Hiccup held on tight to Toothless' saddle trying to stay on. For some reason Hiccup knew that Toothless wasn't going it purpose.

"What's the matter, bud?!" Hiccup yelled trying to stay on him.

But Toothless was just as confused as he was.

In the stands his friends saw Hiccup's problem.

"What's up with Toothless?" Gobber asked looking through his binoculars and saw the problem. "Someone is interfering with the saddle."

"How to you know?" Tuffnut asked.

"I've spent a lot of time with saddles and it was some kind of dark aura around it."

"Did something happen to it when Dagur blocked him?" Wartihog whispered.

"No, only powerful Dark Magic can interfere with a saddle like a Nimbus Two Thousand."

At these words, Ragnar quickly seized Gobber's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Hiccup, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"I thought so, Grabbit is jinxing the broom," Ragnar whispered to Astrid. "But I don't know how to stop him."

"Leave it to me," said Astrid.

Before Ragnar could say anything, she had disappeared. Ragnar turned the binoculars back on Hiccup. Toothless was out of control and because the rest of Gryffindors team were too busy trying to help him they failed to notice Dagur seizing a Quaffle and scoing five times without anyone noticing.

"Whatever you're doing Astrid you better do it fast," Ragnar muttered desperately.

Astrid had fought her way across to the stand where Grabbit was sitting and crept behind the seats. Reaching Grabbit, she silently pulled were axe out and shot a small bust of lighting to set fire to his cap. She then quickly left before he noticed she was there

Grabbit didn't notice until another teacher point it out. He quickly got up, knocking some teachers off their seat including Quirrell as he tried to stoop out the fire.

Almost at the same time Toothless seemed to have regain control.

"You alright, bud?" Hiccup asked. Toothless gave him a small growl. "Then let's win this thing."

He then chased after Tore Higgson, who had seen the Snitch. He quickly caught up to him and the two began to duel once again. The Snitch then took a steep dive straight towards the water and they followed it.

When the Snitch didn't seem to be pulling up, Tore Higgson pulled up out of fear, Hiccup on the other hand continued chasing after it. The Snitch then pulled out at the last second and Toothless followed suit, they were now only a few inches above the water.

"Keep it steady, bud," said Hiccup as balanced himself on Toothless' back.

He slowly out stretched his arm trying to capture it, but then Dagur fired a lightning blast at them. The blast didn't hit Toothless, but it was enough to throw Hiccup off of him.

Hiccup landed in the water and the first thing that came to mind was that it was freezing. Also something felt as though it was trying to escape his mouth.

From the stands Gobber looked at Hiccup, with a worried look on his face.

"Looks like he's going to be sick," he said to the others.

Then Hiccup spat whatever was in his mouth in the palm of his hands. It was the Dark Snitch.

"Hiccup Haddock's has caught the Snitch giving Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points."

That meant Gryffindor won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.

"Gryffindor wins!" Madam Hooch yelled as she blew her whistle.

The Gryffindors cheered as loud as a Thunderdrum's roar. Hiccup just lay in the water exhausted as his red pant washed off.

* * *

Twenty minutes after the match, Hiccup was in Gobber's place having a strong mug of coffee, with Astrid and Ragnar. Toothless was with them to eating a large basket of fish.

"It was Grabbit," Astrid explained. "Ragnar and I saw him. He was cursing your saddle, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Listen I don't always see eye to eye with Grabbit, but Heyral trusts him and that's good enough for me," said Gobber as he drank his mug of coffee. "Besides, why would Grabbit do somethin' like that?"

"I don't know," said Hiccup. "Why did he try to pass that giant three head dog on Hallowe'en?"

Gobber spurt out his coffee almost at once.

"Who told you about Rover?" he said.

"Rover!" Astrid stared.

"That thing has a name?" Ragnar questioned sounding as shock as Astrid.

"Of course he does, I built him a year ago," Gobber explained. "I then learnt him to Heyral to guard the—"

"Yes?" said Hiccup eagerly.

"Shouldn't have said that," said Gobber. He then looked at the three of them. "Don't ask me anymore questions. That's top secret that is."

"But Gobber, whatever Rover is guarding, Grabbit's trying to steal it."

"Codswallop, Grabbit is doing nothing of the sort."

"Then why did he try to kill, Hiccup?" Ragnar asked. "Listen, I've read about all about jinxes. You've got to make eye contact, and Grabbit wasn't blinking."

"You've only know him for a few months and I've known him for years. I think I'm in better position to judge someone," said Gobber.

Before they could argue, Gobber slammed his icy mug onto the table.

"Now listen to me, all three of you… you're meddling into thinks you're not supposed not be meddling in." He then looked at Hiccup. "Listen, Hiccup your father and me might have gotten into trouble when we were at Berk, but he knew better to question Heyral judgment. Whatever that dog is guarding is between Heyral the Wise and Flamel the Eternal."

"Flamel the Eternal?" said Hiccup.

Gobber realised his mistake and kept on muttering to himself, 'I shouldn't have said that'.

Hiccup thought he'd heard that name somewhere before, but he couldn't remember. He looked at Astrid and Ragnar and they both shrugged, but they knew that if they found him they'd get all their questions answered.


	12. The Mirror of Erised

Snoggletog was coming. Hiccup never understood why they named it that, but it was lost to history. Anyway on one morning in mid-December, Berk woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake was frozen and the Hofferson twins and the Thorston twins were both punished for throwing several snowballs at Quirrell the Quivering. The few Terrible Terrors managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver post had to nursed back to health by Bucket and Mulch before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the draughty corridors had become icy and bitter wind rattled the windows in the classroom. Hiccup created flames whenever he could to help keep himself, Astrid and Ragnar warm, but he wasn't able to it in Grabbit's classes down in the dungeons, which was a shame because it was so cold down there that their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

"I can't wait to get home for Snoggletog," said Snotlout, one Potions class. "It's a shame that some people aren't welcome at theirs."

He was looking at Hiccup as he spoke. Dogsbreath and Clueless chuckled. Hiccup, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them. Snotlout had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Dragon Racing match. He had boasted that he could fly circles around Toothless and that he would have caught the Snitch a lot sooner. However no one believed him and said that he's crazy to change a Night Fury. So Snotlout, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Hiccup about having no proper family.

It was true that Hiccup wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Snoggletog. Phlegma the Fierce had come round the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Hiccup had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Snoggletog he'd ever had. Astrid and her brothers were staying too, because Mr and Mrs Hofferson were going to Romania to visit Ripetide.

Astrid had told him that Riptide was there studying dragons in their wild habitat and protecting them from Dragon Hunts, who were Viking that slay dragons and sold their useful remains on the black-market.

When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. They saw that Bucket and Mulch were trying to move it.

"The other way, Bucket," said Mulch.

"Would you mind moving out of the way?" Snotlout ordered.

He then saw Astrid and brushed his hair back. "You know beautiful you would stay at my place. I can put in a good word for you to my parents, telling them that you don't want anything to do with your poor and weak family."

He was about to place a hand on her cheek when Astrid twisted it and slammed him into the wall.

"HOFFERSON!"

They looked around and saw Grabbit walking down the corridor.

"She was provoked, sir," said Mulch, sticking his head from behind the tree. "Snotlout was wooing her, badly, and insultin' her family."

"Even still, while some fighting to allowed, twisting ones arm and slamming them in the wall is not," said Grabbit silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Hofferson, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

Snotlout, Dogsbreath and Clueless pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.

"That boy doesn't take a hint," said Astrid as she, Hiccup and Ragnar walked over to the Great Hall.

"Personal I hate both Snotlout and Grabbit," said Ragnar as they entered the Great Hall.

The first person they saw was Gobber, who was wearing a fur helmet with reindeer antlers and his icy prosthetic in the form of jingle bells.

"You three need to cheer up, it's nearly Snoggletog," said Gobber, when he noticed there expressions.

"You should tell that to people like Grabbit, they don't seem to get the message," said Hiccup.

"I wouldn't worry about them; you should see the Great Hall it looks like a treat."

Gobber was right, the Great Hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, Astrid seem reluctant to going under any of them probably fearing Snotlout was close by. There were at least twelve towering fir trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Gobber asked.

"Just one," said Ragnar.

"You better see the Dragon Migration before you leave."

The Dragon Migration was a time during the Snoggletog holidays when all the dragons fly off to a unknown place to lay their eggs, which is a good thing because dragon eggs explode when they hatch, they then return just as the holidays end with their babies. Hiccup was told by other students that it is a spectacular sight.

"Don't worry I will," said Ragnar. "And that reminds me… Hiccup, Astrid, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Oh, yeah, you're right," said Astrid, tearing her eyes away from Flitwick the Charm, who was creating ball of different colour aura spheres and lifting them up into the air.

"The library?" said Gobber, following them out of the Hall. "Just before the holidays? Got a lot of homework have you?"

"Oh, we're not working," Hiccup told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Flamel the Eternal we've been trying to find out who he is."

"You what?" Gobber looked shocked. "Listen, you shouldn't concern yourself what that dog is guarding."

"We just want to know who Flamel the Eternal is, that's all," said Ragnar.

"You would same us all the trouble, Gobber, if you tell us," Hiccup added. "We've must have read through hundreds of books already and we can't find anything… can't you just give us a hint… I know I've read his name somewhere."

"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Gobber flatly.

"Then we'll find out for ourselves, then," said Astrid, and they left Gobber looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.

They had indeed been searching books for Flamel ever since Gobber had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Grabbit was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. He wasn't in _Great Vikings of the twentieth Century_, or _Notable Magical Name of Our Time_; he was missing too, from _Important Modern Magical Discoveries_, and _A Study of Recent Developments in Viking Kind_. And then, of course, there was the sheer size of library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows.

Ragnar took out a list of subjects and titles he had decided to search while Astrid strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Hiccup decided to wander over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic that was never taught at Berk and only read by older students studying advanced Combat Arts.

"What are you looking for, boy?"

"Nothing," said Hiccup.

Hairy the Librarian was the Berk's librarian and like his name suggested he was very hairy. He was studying Hiccup carefully, like he was some kind of book.

"You'd better get out, then. Go on—out!"

Hiccup wished he could think up some story faster, Hiccup left the library. He, Astrid and Ragnar had already agreed they'd better not ask Hairy where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Grabbit hearing what they were up to.

Hiccup waited outside the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for a fortnight, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really need was a nice long search without Hairy breathing down their necks.

Five minutes later, Astrid and Ragnar joined him, shaking their heads. They went outside because this was the time for the Dragon Migration.

They arrived just in time to see the all the dragons on Berk flying off to parts unknown. Hiccup was trying to count them all, but there were so many it was impossible. He then saw Toothless flying off, but not before giving him a toothless smile.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Ragnar. That brought Hiccup and Astrid to turn their focus from the dragons flying overhead. "And send me a Terrible Terror if you find anything."

"And you could ask your mum if they know who Flamel is," Astrid suggested. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as she's a dentist," said Ragnar.

* * *

Once the holidays had started, Astrid and Hiccup were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. They had Hiccup's dormitory to themselves, though Sven kept on checking up on them much to Astrid embarrassment, and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork—bread, crumpets, marshmallows. Hiccup couldn't help, but stare at her with a dreamy look on his face, thinking about how beautiful she looked by the fire's embers shining off her face. The moment would quickly pass when she gave him a stare look.

Astrid also started teaching Hiccup Viking chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except for two things, one the pieces were dragons and they were alive, it was like leading soldiers into battle. The chief was a dragon called a Bewilderbeast, the Books of Dragons said that it was a rare Alpha dragon, the chieftess was Deadly Nadder, the Berserkers were Hideous Zippleback, the elders were Night Fury's, the forts were Gronckles and the soldiers were Monstrous Nightmares.

Astrid's set was very old and battered. Like everything else she owned, it had once belonged to someone else in her family—in this case, her grandfather. However, old chessdragons weren't a drawback at all. Astrid knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.

Hiccup wasn't so fortunate, his pieces belonged to Wartihog and they didn't trust him at all. He had never played any kind of chess before, because one: he never had a chess set, two: he never had anyone to play against and three: the Dalssons were into board games at all. Astrid kept on tell him that he commanded them like a true leader despite the fact that his pieces didn't always do what he wanted.

On Snoggletog, Hiccup was woken up by a huge bang at the door and Astrid voice came from the over side of it.

"Hiccup! Wake up! It's Snoggletog!" her voice yelled.

Hiccup got out of bed, put on his dressing grown and opened the door and there stood Astrid wearing a golden, thick, hand-knitted sweater with a large blue A on it.

"Happy Snoggletog!" Astrid cheered. She then gave him a big hug. "Oh, and thanks for that axe sharpening kit, I really need that."

"No problem," Hiccup said and noticed the jumper she was wearing. "Uh… what are you wearing?"

"Oh, this… mum always makes a jumper for Snoggletog," said Astrid. She looked over his shoulder and pointed. "Looks like you've got one too."

Hiccup quickly turned around and saw a pile of presents at the foot of his bed.

"I've got presents!" he gasped.

"What did you expect, turnips?" Astrid asked.

"Would you believe me if I'd said 'yes'?" Hiccup said before running to the pile.

Hiccup picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was _To Hiccip, from Gobber_. Inside was a beautifully carved wooden flute, which's end was carved to like a Night Fury. Gobber had obviously made it himself. Hiccup blew it and it made a sound like beautiful song bird.

A second, very small parcel contained a note.

_We received your message and enclosed your Snoggletog present. From Uncle Magnus and Aunt Runa_. Sellotaped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.

"Well, that's more than last year," said Hiccup.

Astrid was fascinated by the fifty-pence.

"Is this Muggle money?" she asked taking the note to look at it. "It's a weird shape."

"You can keep it if you like," Hiccup chuckled and Astrid took the note gladly. He then looked at the rest of the presents and picked up a very lumpy parcel which was the one that Astrid pointed to earlier. "How did you mum know to send me a present?"

"I told her in one of my letters saying that you didn't expect any presents," Astrid explained. "Besides she wanted to say thank you for save me from that Troll."

"What did she say when she found out anyway?" Hiccup asked.

"Let's just say that she wasn't best pleased," Astrid said blushing a bit.

Hiccup opened the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater like Astrid's, only emerald green, and a large box of home-made fudge.

"I don't know what to say," said Hiccup looking at the jumper.

"Then don't and finish opening your presents."

Hiccup did and the next one contained a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Ragnar.

"Ragnar gave me several boxes of Every-Flavour Beans," said Astrid sitting on one of the empty beds.

There was only one left and it felt light in Hiccup's hands. When he opened it a grey and sliver cape fell out. Astrid gasped.

"I've head of these," she said getting up from the bed.

"Don't leave me in suspense," said Hiccup getting very tired of showing his ignorance, "tell me what it is."

"Put it on and find out."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but did what he was told and threw the cape over his shoulders. When he looked at Astrid, she was amazed.

"Now, look in the mirror."

Hiccup was getting every tired of this and walked over to the mirror. He gasped, because he saw nothing and when he removed the cape he reappeared.

"It's an Invisibly Cape, there are really rare and really valuable," Astrid said looking at the cape. "Who sent it?"

Then Hiccup noticed the letter on the floor. It was written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before and read out the words on it:

_You rather left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well and wisely._

_A Happy Snoggletog to you._

There was no signature. At first he thought Gobber gave it to him, but he had already given him his present and Hiccup had a feeling he write in narrow, loopy writing.

"Looks like our list of questions has gotten bigger," said Astrid looking at the note over.

"Yeah, like who sent this note? And does this thing really belonged to my dad?" said Hiccup looking at the Cape, like it was a bomb about to go off.

Before they could say or think anything else, the dormitory foor flund open and Douvle and Trouble Hofferson bounded in. Hiccup stuffed the Cape quickly out of sight. He didn't fell like sharing it with anyone else yet.

"Happy Snoggletog, Hiccup!" they said.

They then noticed Astrid in the dormitory with him.

"Hello, hello, hello," said Double with a sly smile.

"What do we have here?" Trouble asked raising an eyebrow.

"I just came to wish Hiccup a happy Snoggletog," said Astrid, whose face was now red.

"Sure… you did," said Trouble trying to keep a straight face.

Astrid was both embossed and angry at her brother. Hiccup decided for the twin's safety to show the jumper their mother gave to him for a present.

"Hey, looks like you've got a Hofferson jumper, too!"

Double and Trouble were wearing blue jumpers, one with a large yellow D on it, the other with a large yellow T.

"Hiccup's is better than ours, though," said Double, holding Hiccup's jumper. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family?"

"Or if your fames," said Trouble.

"Or if you save her only daughter from a troll."

"Do you like a punch in the face for your Snoggletog gift?" Astrid asked giving them one of her death glares.

They both decided, very wisely, to charge the subject.

"You haven't got a letter on yours," Trouble observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your names. But we're not stupid—"

"Could have fooled me," Astrid muttered.

"Like I was saying," said Trouble glaring at Astrid, "we know we're called Touble and Drouble."

"What's all this noise?"

Sven Hofferson stuck his head though the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly come halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy jumper over his arm, which Double seized.

"Get it on, Sven, come one, we're all wearing ours, even Hiccup's got one."

Hiccup looked at Astrid as the twins forced the jumper over Sven's head.

"Are they always like this?" he asked.

Astrid shrugged. "Pretty much."

"And you're not sitting with the Prefects today, either," said Trouble. "Snoggletog is a time for family.

They frog-matched Sven from the room, his arms pinned to his sides by his jumper.

* * *

Hiccup had never in all his life had such a Snoggletog dinner. It was even bigger that the Hallowe'en Feast, there were hundreds of roast boar, mountains of chicken wings, and other stuff Hiccup couldn't describe and stacks of Viking crackers every few feet along the table. These crackers were nothing like the Muggles ones that the Dalssons usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats. Hiccup pulled a Viking cracker with Double and id didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a helmet with four bull horns and spikes across the crown and several live, white mice. Up on the High Table, Heyral the Wise had swapped his spiky helmet for a plain helmet and was chuckling merrily at a joke Flitwick the Charmer had just read.

Flaming Snoggletog puddings followed the boar. Sven nearly broke his teath on a silver Sickle embedded in his slice. Hiccup watched Gobber getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more ale, finally kissing Phlegma the Fierce on the cheek, who, to Hiccup's surprised, giggled and blushed, turning her back at him.

When Hiccup finally left the table, he laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable, aura balloons, a grow-your-own-warts kit and his own new Viking chess set. The white mice had disappeared and he Hiccup had no idea what happened to them.

Hiccup and the Hoffersons spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight in the grounds. Then, cold, wet and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, which Hiccup got the temperature just right. He then broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Astrid. She assured him that he won't have lost so badly if Sven hadn't tried to help him so much, for some reason that didn't make him feel any better.

After a tea of ham sandwiches, meat pies, trifle and Snoggletog cake, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Sven chasing Double and Trouble all over the common room because they'd stolen his prefect badge.

It had been Hiccup's best Snoggletog day ever, not that he ever had a good one. Yet he was still curious about who sent him the Invisibility Cape. Even after he got into bed he couldn't help, but think about the Cape and the words _use it well and wisely _and then he realised something, he could go anywhere around in Berk without Mildew even knowing.

He got out of his bed, warped his father's Cape around and crept out of the dormitory.

"Who's there?" squawked the Fat Valkyrie. Hiccup said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.

He walked towards the library. He was going to enter the Restricted Section to see if he can out anything about Flamel the Eternal. Thanks to the Cape he could read as long as he liked, as long he kept the Cape on that is.

He seen entered the library and boy did it look creepy. Hiccup use his fire magic so he could see his way along the tows of books.

The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope which separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up the magical ball of fire to read the titles.

The problem was that the fading gold letters were spelled in a language that Hiccup couldn't understand, he guess that it was written in Norse. Even worse some had no titles. He also thought he heard faint whispers coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

He then pulled out a large black and silver volume from the bottom shelf. He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, opened it.

A piercing, blood-curdling shirk split the silence. In surprise Hiccup dropped the book and it slammed shut, but the shriek went on and on. He then heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside and ran for it. He passed Mildew almost in the doorway; Mildew's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him and Hiccup slipped under Mildew outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor.

He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall stone statue. He had been so busy getting way from the library; he hadn't paid attention to where he was at all.

"You asked me to come directly to you, sir, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library, in the Restricted Section."

Hiccup felt the blood draining from his face. He didn't know how, but Mildew had found a short cut and was bring someone with him. He then discovered that it was Grabbit who replied.

"The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."

Hiccup just stood there in fear as Mildew and Grabbit came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock tight into him and he knew that the Cape didn't stop him being soild.

He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. Luckily he's scrawny body came in handy this time, because he managed to squeezed through it and entered the room without Mildew or Grabbit's notice. He leant against the wall and heard their footsteps faded away. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.

The room he landed himself in looked like a disused classroom. He saw all the desks and chairs piled against the walls and there was an upturned waste-paper basket. He noticed something else, something that didn't look like it belonged in here.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was inscription carved around the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

Hiccup knew he should leave while Mildew and Grabbit were gone, but for some reason he was drawn towards the mirror. He removed his Cape and looked at it, but no only saw his reflection, but saw two people standing beside him.

There was a huge mountain of a man with dark red hair bread, which was tired in braids, and emerald green eyes just like his. He looked at Hiccup with a proud look on his face. He then noticed the woman standing on the other side of him. She was pretty with bright blue eyes, with a green tint, and auburn hair, like his, that was tired three separate braids behind her back. Her figure was slim; in fact she was like a female version of him.

That's when he realised who these two were and could help, but let a tear run down his cheek.

"Mum?" he whispered. "Dad?"

The two Haddocks smiled at him and he pressed his hand flat against the glass trying to touch them. The two Haddocks would see his pain; his father placed his huge hand on his shoulder while his mother cried. He didn't know what to feel joy or terrible sadness.

He soon brought back from his sense when he heard a distant noise. He picked up his Cape, looked at the faces of his mother and father one last time and whispered, "I'll be back," and hurried from the room.

* * *

Next morning, at breakfast, Hiccup told Astrid of his parents encounter.

"You're kidding," said Astrid staring at him like he'd just dropped from space.

"No, straight up," said Hiccup.

"I've heard about your parents and I'd really like to meet them," said Astrid eagerly.

"And I want to see all your family, all the Hoffersons; you'll be able to show me your brothers and everyone."

"You can see them any old time," said Astrid. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, I don't see how a mirror can show the dead, unless that's what it does. Shame about not finding Flamel, though." She then noticed that Hiccup wasn't eating anything. "You should eat something, even if it's a bit of bacon."

Hiccup couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important any more. He was move conceded about the mirror and what was inscription on it.

"Are you all right? You're acting weird," said Astrid. Then she added, "well, weirder."

"Thank you for those kid words, Astrid," said Hiccup before taking a bit of his bacon.

Later that night, both Hiccup and Astrid were covered in the Invisibility Cape looking for the mirror room again. They'd tried retracing Hiccup's route from the library, but that was difficult because half the time he was running scared.

"If we don't find this place soon, we'll have to head back," said Astrid.

"No!" Hiccup hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."

Soon they found the stone statue that Hiccup came across last night.

"It's here somewhere—ah, here!"

They pushed open the door. Hiccup dropped the Cape from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror.

There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.

"See?" Hiccup whispered.

"Hiccup…I can only see you," said Astrid in a worried voice.

"Maybe you can see them from where I'm standing."

Hiccup stepped aside to let Astrid see, but he could no longer see his parents, just Astrid in her pyjamas.

Astrid, though, was staring transfixed at her image.

"I don't see your family only me, but I'm Head Girl and the Dragon Racing captain. I also see—" she then blushed and looked embarrassed. "I, uh… also see Heyral the Wise his handing me the… House Cup and the Dragon Racing Cup."

Hiccup could tell that she was lying, but he was more forced about how Astrid wouldn't see his parents.

"Do…do you think this mirror shows the future?" The moment those words exited her lips she regretted it.

"How can it? Both my parents are dead."

"We…show go before Mildew shows up." said Astrid, as she picked up the Cape.

Hiccup was reluctant, but Astrid was right and they left the room.

* * *

Next morning, Hiccup was in the common room look at the fire think about the mirror.

"Want to play chess, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"No.

"Why don't we go down and visit Gobber?"

"No…you go…"

"Hiccup, you have to stop about think about that mirror."

"How can I? Two days ago I didn't even know what my parents looked like and now I can see them every night."

"But there not real and you could get into problem."

Hiccup didn't listen, he was going to look at the mirror again, and Astrid wasn't going to stop him.

* * *

Later that night, he found his way more quickly than last time. He sat in front of the mirror looking at his parents watching them sail at him.

"Back again, Hiccup?" a voice behind him said.

Hiccup quickly turned around and saw Heyral the Wise sitting at one of the desks by the wall. Hiccup must have walked straight, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.

"I-I didn't see you, sir."

"Strange how short-sighted being invisible can make you," said Heyral, and Hiccup was relieved to see that he was smiling.

"So," said Heyral, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Hiccup, "you, like hundreds before, you have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that, sir."

"But I expect you've realised by now what it does?" Hiccup shook his head. "No, then let me give you a hint. The happiest man on Midgard would only be able to see himself."

Hiccup thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want… whatever we want…"

"Yes and no," said Heyral quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You see the writing engraved on the frame says 'I show not your face but your heart's desire'." He then noticed Hiccup confused face. "It's written backwards with the spaces rearranged." To someone like you, who never meet his family, would see them standing around you. Your friend Astrid Hofferson, who is the only daughter in her family and wished to prove herself to everyone, sees herself standing with the person she most cares about making her family proud."

"Who's the person she most cares about?" Hiccup asked.

"I have a good idea, but it's for her to tell you," said Heyral and then continued. "This mirror, however, will not give us knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. That's way tomorrow it'll find a new home and, Hiccup, I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever _do_ run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable Cape back on and get off to bed?"

Hiccup stood up.

"Sir, can I ask you a question?"

"You already have," Heyral said. Hiccup rolled his eyes in annoyance. "But you may ask me another."

"What do you see when you look in the Mirror?"

"You're a curious boy ain't you, Hiccup? Well, I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks."

Hiccup stared.

You may think it's weird, but no one can have enough socks," said Heyral. "For some reason people keep giving me books and weapons."

He then walked out of the room leaving a confused Hiccup behind.


	13. Flamel the Eternal

Heyral had convinced Hiccup not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again for the rest of the Snoggletog holidays the Invisibility Cape stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk. Hiccup wished he could forget what he'd seen in Mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light while hearing a deep booming voice, laughing.

"I guess Heyral was right, that mirror could drive you mad," said Astrid, when Hiccup told her about these dreams.

Ragnar, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. He kept on say how he wished he could see that mirror and was worried about these dreams Hiccup had been having. He was also disappointed that they hadn't found out who Flamel the Eternal was.

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Hiccup was sure he'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming though books for ten minutes during their breaks, Hiccup had even less time than the other two, because Dragon Racing practice had started again since the dragons had returned.

Eret was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits, though it dampened theirs. The Hoffersons complained that Eret was becoming a fanatic, but Hiccup was on Eret's side, even though he wished he'd slow down a bit. Anyway, if they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years. Quite apart from wanting to win, Hiccup found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training. Plus he was happy to see Toothless, even though he kept on regurgitating fish for him.

Then, during one particularly wet and windy practice session, Eret gave the team a bit of bad news. He'd just got very angry with the Hoffersons, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their Deadly Nadders.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Grabbit's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

Trouble Hofferson really did fall of Strike at these words.

"G-G-Grab-bit re-refer-ereing?" he said as his teeth chattered in the freezing cold water. Double had to help him get back on Strike. "When's he ever refereed a Dragon Racing match?"

"Ever since we got a Seeker that could beat Slytherin."

"He's not going to be fair; he's going to make sure we lose."

"Nothing I can do," said Eret. "We've got to make sure we play a very clean game, so Grabbit hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

"It's Dragon Racing it's not supposed to be clean," Double reminded.

"Well, it is now," said Eret. He then turned to Hiccup. "Hiccup, I know this isn't going to be easy for you, but we have to catch the Snitch as quickly as possible."

It was easy for him to say, he wasn't the one that wasn't going too targeted by the other team.

At the end of practice, Hiccup returned to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Astrid and Ragnar playing chess. Chess was the only thing, apart from practical Combat Arts, he lost at to Astrid.

"Don't interrupt me," said Astrid when Hiccup sat down next to him. "I need to concen—" She caught sight of Hiccup's face. "What's the matter now!"

"Grabbit is going to be the referee in the match against Hufflepuff," said Hiccup.

Next second there was a massive crash as the chess board fell to the floor. Astrid had shot up in surprised and knocked the board of the table by accident.

"Don't play," said once.

"Say you're ill," said Ragnar.

"Pretend to break your leg," Astrid suggested.

"_Really_ break your leg," said Ragnar.

"I can't," said Hiccup. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

At that moment Fishlehs toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been warped together by purple flames. Clearly he had bunny hop all the way to the common room.

Everyone fell about laughing except Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar as he hopped over to their table.

"H-Hiccup," he panted, "c-can you re-remove this Fire-Lock Curse?"

"Well, I haven't do it with some else's fire magic, but I'll give it a go," said Hiccup and snapped his fingers.

A second later, the purple flames around Fishlegs' legs disappeared. He then fell to the floor exhausted.

"Thanks for that."

"Let us guess, Snotlout," said Astrid.

Fishlegs nodded. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practise that on."

"You should go to Phlegma and report him!" Ragnar urged Fishlegs.

Fishlegs shook his head.

"I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.

"You've got to stand up to him, Fishlegs!" said Astrid. "He's nothing more than a bully and I bet he tremble when someone stands up to him."

"But Gryffindor's are supposed to be brave and I'm anything but," Fishlegs choked.

Hiccup felt sorry for Fishelgs and knew how he felt. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Ragnar had given him for Snoggletog. He gave it to Fishlegs, who looked as though he might cry.

"Just me, Fishlegs, I know how you feel. My cousin Olaf has always picked on me and when I got here I was scared stiff," Hiccup said, "but the Sorting Helmet put you in Gryffindor for a reason and if you ask me it's better than being in Slytherin."

Fishlegs' looked at him not sure if to believe him or not, but unwrapped the Frog.

"Thanks, Hiccup…I think I'll do to bed. Do you want the card; you collect them, don't you?"

As Fishlegs walked away Astrid stood next to Hiccup.

"He needed that," said Astrid.

"I only told him the truth," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, but you have the makings of a great leader."

Hiccup then looked at the Famous Viking card that Fishlegs' gave him.

"Heyral again," he said. "This was the card you gave me when we were—"

He gasped. He started at the back of the cord. Then looked at Astrid and Ragnar.

"_I've found him!_" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I _told_ you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here—listen to this: 'Heyral the Wise is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark Viking Grindelward the Terrible in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood _and his work on alchemy with his partner, Flamel the Eternal'_!"

Ragnar jumped to his feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they won the Dragon Racing match against Slytherin.

"Stay there!" he said, and he sprinted up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. Hiccup and Astrid barely had time to exchange mystified looks before he was dashing back, an enormous old book in his arms.

"I can't believe I was so stupid!" he whispered in annoyance. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"This is _light_?" said Astrid.

"All right, heavy reading," said Ragnar, as he opened the book.

"Never mind that, what in there?" Hiccup asked.

"Hopefully the answer to some of our questions," said Ragnar, as he flicked through the pages. "Ah, here. Flamel the Eternal is the _only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!_"

Hiccup looked at Astrid, who shared his blank face, and they looked back at Ragnar.

"The what?" they said.

"Don't you two read?" he then cleared his throat and began to read:

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with the making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Flamel the Eternal, the noted alchemist and opera-lover. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife Perenelle the Lovely (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"See, that's what Rover is guarding! I bet Flamel asked Heyral to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want a stone that would make you gold and stops you from dying," said Hiccup.

"And it's no wonder we couldn't find Flamel, we've been looking for him in the wrong century," said Astrid.

"Or why they call him the '_Eternal'_," said Ragnar.

Hiccup stood there remembering that Grabbit and the upcoming match.

"I'm going to play," he said and they both looked at him. "At the Dragon Racing match, if I don't the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Grabbit. I'm going to wipe the smiles off their faces when we win."

"Just as long as we're not wiping you and Toothless off the water surface," said Astrid.

"That's not help."

* * *

The next day, the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff began. Hiccup knew, when they wished him good luck outside the changing room, that Astrid and Ragnar were wondering whether they'd ever see him alive again. This wasn't very comforting, but it was too late to do anything now.

Astrid and Ragnar, meanwhile had found a place in the stands next to Fishlegs, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they brought their crystal eyes to the match. Hiccup didn't know that the two off them were going to blast Grabbit off his Snafflefang, Rockhead, if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Hiccup.

Astrid didn't show it, but she was more worried than anyone in the stands, including Hiccup.

Back in the charging room, Eret had taken Hiccup aside.

"Listen Hiccup, I know you're nervous enough as it is, but I need you to catch the Snitch as quickly as possible. Finish the game before Grabbit can favour Hufflepuff too much."

"The whole academy has shown up!" said Double Hofferson, peering out of the door. "By Thor's Hammer, Heyral has shown up."

When those words pasted Double's lips Hiccup began to relax.

"Guess he heard the problem Hiccup had with Toothless last match," said Trouble Hofferson, liking out the door as well. "Guess those cheating Slytherins won't be trying that same trick this time."

In the stands, Astrid and Ragnar noticed the anger in Grabbit's face as the teams flew out of the changing rooms.

"No wonder, Grabbit looks so mean," said Ragnar, with a faint smile.

"Look! There off!"

Next thing they knew, Ragnar got poked in the back of the head. They looked around and saw Snotlout.

"Oh, sorry, Ragnar, didn't see you there."

Snotlout grinned broadly at Dogsbreath and Clueless.

"Wonder how long Useless will stay on that fancy dragon of his?"

"Probably longer than you ever could," Astrid said as she turned back to watch the match.

Grabbit had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because her brother Trouble had hit a Bludger at him. Astrid turned her sights on Hiccup, who was flying around on Toothless like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.

"Oh, babe, why are you so interested in him when a real man is standing here?" said Snotlout, as Grabbit awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all.

Astrid was about to punch him in the face, but Fishlegs took a step forward.

"You back off Snotlout," he said.

"Oh, lookie here boys, Fishbrain had grown a backbone," Snotluot snickered.

Dogsbreath and Clueless howled with laughter. They stopped when Astrid got to her feet and gave them a very frightening death glare.

"Back off, Snotlout or I'll—"

"Astrid!" said Ragnar suddenly. "Hiccup—!"

"What is it?"

She then noticed that Hiccup and Toothless had gone in a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Ragnar stood up, and began to cheer as well, as Hiccup streaked towards the water like a bullet.

"How that guy destroyed the Dragon Lord I'll never know," said Snotlout. "I mean look at him, he's both more than a fishbone. He shouldn't even be here with proper Vikings."

That was all Astrid could take. Before Snotlout knew what was happening, Astrid punched him hard in the stomach. Dogsbreath and Clueless tried to help him, but they had their own problems with Fishlegs. He had just taken the both of them on and he was almost as strong as they were.

Ragnar on the other hand was so interested on what Hiccup was going that he didn't notice the wrestling match behind him.

"Come on, Hic!" Ragnar yelled.

Up in the air Grabbit turned Rockhead just in time to see a black dragon shoot past him, missing him by inches. Next moment, Hiccup pulled Toothless out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.

The stands erupted; it had to be a record, on one could ever remember the Snitch clasped in his hand."

"Astrid! Look the game's over! And I think Hiccup's broken a Berk record!" Ragnar yelled.

He turned around and saw the bruised and battered forms of Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Dogsbreath and Clueless, all of whom were laying on the floor in a daze.

* * *

Hiccup left the charging room alone some time later, to fly Toothless back to the stables. He'd be anymore happier. He remembered being carried on the shoulders by the Gryffindors; he saw Astrid and Ragnar cheering his name and wondered why Astrid looked so bruised.

Hiccup laid on Toothless back enjoying the sun.

"You did great, bud," said Hiccup patting Toothless. "Looks like both the House Cup and the Dragon Racing Cup are both ours."

He soon reached the stables and was about to take Toothless in, when he some swiftly walk down the front steps of the castle.

He turned to get a better look, but the mystics figure was too far away. Then he noticed that it was walking as fast as possible towards Raven's Point. Hiccup recognised the figure's prowling walk, it was Grabbit.

Hiccup looked at Toothless, who was watching Grabbit as well.

"Come one, bud," said Hiccup as he got on his back, "let's see what he's up too."

Toothless took off. They flew silently past the castle and saw Grabbit enter the forest at a run. They followed.

They landed and followed him, silently. The trees were so thick that it covered the place in darkness; this helped them to remain unseen thanks to Toothless' dark scales. They hide behind a bush to view Grabbit without being seen.

Grabbit stop there in a shadowy clearing, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. Hiccup wondered why Quirrell of all people would be in the scariest place on the island.

"D-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Grabbit," said a stuttering Quirrell.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Grabbit, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."

This got Hiccup's attention and he leaned forwards a bit. He missed what Quirrell said, but he differently heard what Grabbit said next.

"Have you found out how to get past that mechanical beast of Gobber's yet?"

"B-b-but G-g-grab-b-b-bit, I—"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Grabbit, taking a step towards him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

Then at all the times, a dragon roared in the distance, covering most of what Grabbit said. "—your little obstacle. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't—"

"Very well," Grabbit cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

He then realised Quirrell and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Hiccup could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.

* * *

When he finally re-entered the castle, he was but with Astrid and Ragnar. He was also met with Astrid fist, which landed painfully on his shoulder.

"Why would you do that?!" said Hiccup as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Where have you _been_?" Astrid demanded.

"Yeah, everyone is waiting in the common room," said Ragnar in puzzlement. "Well, everyone apart from Fishlegs, he took one Dogsbreath and Clueless single-handed, he still in the Heal Centre, but he'll be fine. Astrid on the other hand punched Snotlout's lights out; he'll be seeing double for a week."

"Never mind that now," said Hiccup. "Let's find an empty room; you guys need to hear this."

He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he and Toothless saw and heard.

"So we were right, it _is_ the Philosopher's Stone, and Grabbit's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get pasted Rover…and he said something about Quirrell's 'little obstacle'…I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Rover, loads of magical defences, probably, and Quirrell would put up some kind of defence."

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Grabbit?" said Ragnar in pure horror.

"Guess we can say goodbye to the Philosopher's Stone next week," said Astrid.


	14. The Fire Gem

**I'm sorry this chapter is short, but I had to cut a few things out since having a baby dragon wouldn't be a problem in this universe.**

* * *

Surprisingly, Quirrell was a lot braver than they thought. In weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.

Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar would press their ears to the door to check that Rover was still growling inside. Grabbit was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which meant that the Stone was still safe. Whenever Hiccup pasted Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Astrid started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

Ragnar on the other hand didn't see, to be interested in the Philosopher's Stone like the other two. He had started drawing up revision timetables and spent most of his time reading notes. Hiccup and Astrid wouldn't have minded, but he kept on advising them to do the same.

"Rag, the exams are ages away," said Hiccup, finally getting tired of Ragnar.

"Ten weeks," Ragnar corrected. "To Flamel that's a second."

"But we're not over six hundred years old," Astrid reminded him. "Listen I know that we need to pass the exams to get into our second year, but you need to relax."

"You'll be eating those words," said Ragnar, as he began to read one of books from the pile next to him.

It would seem Ragnar was right. The teachers started to give them piles of homework that it made the Thor holidays not as fun as the Snoggletog.

The Thor holidays were a holiday to celebrate the Great Peace that ended a bloody war, at least that's what the Muggles thought. In fact it was celebration to the day that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I ended the war between Vikings and dragons.

This didn't stop Ragnar from reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practising combat moves. Moaning and yawing, Hiccup and Astrid spent most of their free time in the library with him, trying to get though all their extra work.

"I'm so dead," Hiccup moaned slamming his head on the table.

"What are you talking about, Hiccup?" Astrid asked puzzled.

"Let's face it, I'm not as skilled as you are and I'm not as smart as Ragnar, I'm weak link out of the three of use."

"Uh, last time I checked… you were in the Dragon Racing team and rode a Night Fury," Ragnar reminded.

"And you saved me from a mountain troll," Astrid added.

"I'm hardly going to be examined on that," said Hiccup, with his hand over his hand.

"But you're the one that figured that the… You Know What was here," Ragnar said.

"Speaking of which we still don't know what else is guarding the Stone apart from Rover," said Hiccup in a whisper.

"Yeah, but how are we going to find out?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup thought for a moment and looked at the other two.

"I have got a pretty good idea."

* * *

Later that night they wondered over to Gobber's workshop. Somehow they reached it without being spotted and banged on the door. Seconds later Gobber opened the door and saw them.

"Oh, hello," he said. "Sorry, don't wish to be rude, but I'm in no fit state to entertain today."

He then shut the door.

"We know about the Philosopher's Stone!" the three of them said.

Upon hearing this, Gobber reopened the door and looked slightly annoyed.

"Oh, then come in," he said.

They entered his workshop and took a seat.

"We think Grabbit is trying to steal it," said Hiccup as he sat down.

"Grabbit! Yer still not on abou' him, are ya?" said Gobber as he made some coffee.

"What we really like to know is who use is protecting the Stone," said Ragnar.

"How did you know that there were over defences?" Gobber asked amazed.

"I overheard Grabbit talking to Quirrell talking about his 'little obstacle'," Hiccup explained.

"Yeh, shouldn't be meddling, Hiccup," said Gobber as he handed each of them a cup of coffee. "Besides, idon' know meself."

"But you know who's help guarding it?" said Ragnar as he took a sip of coffee.

"Fine! As you know Heyral borrowed Rover from me… then some o' the teachers put up some defences… Flora the Botanist, Flitwick the Charmer, Phlegma the Fierce—" he ticked them off his fingers, "Quirrell the Quivering an' Heyral himself did someth', o' course. Oh yeah, and Grabbit."

"Grabbit?!" The three of them yelled.

"Yes, Grabbit, he's protecting the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

Hiccup knew Astrid and Ragnar were thinking the same thing. If Grabbit had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything—except, it seemed, Quirrell's obstacle and how to get pasted Rover.

"Listen, I had trouble trusting Grabbit as well, but Heyral trusted him an' that's good enough for me."

"So, you're the only one who knows how to get past Rover, aren't you, Gobber?" said Hiccup anxiously.

"Not a soul knows except me an' Heyral," said Gobber proudly. Then he realised his mistake. "I shouldn't have told ya that, I shouldn't have told ya that."

Then Hiccup noticed something shiny in the forge.

"Uh, Gobber, what's that?" Hiccup asked pointing at the forge.

Gobber looked at what he was pointing at and walked over to the forge. His icy mug then transformed into a pair of blacksmith's tongs and then put them into the forge. A moment later he pulled out a red glowing gem, Hiccup could feel a massive amount of heat coming from it.

Both Astrid and Ragnar seemed to know what it was straight away and looked at Gobber with stunned looks.

"Ah," said Gobber, nervously as he placed it on the table. "That's, uh…"

"I know what that is," said Ragnar staring at the gem.

"Yeah, Ripetide told me all about them," said Astrid, crouching over to get a better look. "How did you get it? It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," said Gobber. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger."

"Could you mind telling me what this thing is?" Hiccup asked annoyed.

"This 'thing' as you call it is a Fire Gem," Astrid explained, "and is only one of the rarest magical gems in the world. You can use these things to power your house for a lifetime."

"I use it to help keep the forge lit up," said Gobber. "It makes things a lot easier to forge stuff I need for my classes."

Gobber then looked towards the window and the colour suddenly disappeared from his face.

"Who's that?"

Everyone else heard it as well and saw Snotlout's face sticking through the window. He saw that they were looking at him he disappeared and ran back towards the castle.

"That was Snotlout?" said Astrid.

"Ya three better get going before ya get caught," said Gobber.

They didn't waste any time and ran back towards the castle.

* * *

They were running through the corridor, desperate to get back to the Gryffindor common room before they got caught.

"How much trouble do you think were in?" Astrid asked.

They stopped when they saw two people standing in front of them.

"A lot," said Hiccup looking down at his feet.

In front of them stood Phlegma the Fierce, in her night attire, and Snotlout looking at them smugly.

"Good evening," said Phlegma, looking at them disappointedly.


	15. Raven's Point

Phlegma had taken them to an empty class and was looking a lot more fierce than usual. Snotlout was leaning against the wall looking smug.

"If I hadn't seen this I wouldn't have believe it," said Phlegma looking at them fiercely. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, gives a student the right to walk about the academy at night. I hope you have a good reason."

"No, ma'am," said Hiccup looking at his feet.

"I thought so," said Phlegma sitting down on a chair. "Then you leave me no choice, fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"_Fifty_!" Astrid gasped.

"Each."

Hiccup couldn't have felt any more horrible; he wished that Thor would strike him down. With the loss of a hundred and fifty points that put Gryffindor in last place.

"What about that Fire Gem of Gobber? Can I have it?" Snotlout asked looking greedy.

"What are you talking about?" said Ragnar, glaring at him. "There's nothing against Viking law or the academy rules about keeping a Fire Gem."

"Mr Keatson is quite right," said Phlegma. She didn't look every happy at Snotlout for some reason. "Gobber will be allowed to keep it."

Snotlout grumbled about never getting what he wants while Phlegma looked back at the three of them.

"Also, to make sure it doesn't happen again, the four of you will receive detention."

Snotlout looked up and counted the Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar off his fingers and looked at Phlegma in confusion.

"Uh, ma'am I think you've miss counted because I only count three losers that got in trouble," he said.

"I'm afraid you're the one that's miscounted, Mr Jorgenson," said Phlegma, showing the same disapproving face she gave the three of them. "Didn't you hear me before that student the right to walk about the academy at night? You see as 'honourable' as your interstation were, you too were out of bed after hours."

Snotlout's smug face disappeared, but Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar didn't felt so bad now.

"No one likes a snitch," said Astrid, with a smirk.

"Unless it's the Dark Snitch," said Hiccup.

"Indeed," said Phlegma and looked back at Snotlout. "You'll be joining your classmates in detention."

Snotlout looked like he was about to protected, but the look that Phlegma charged his mind. She then told them to good back to bed. All three of them did and dreed the next morning.

* * *

Next morning, things went exactly how Hiccup thought they would. At first when the Gryffindors looked at the giant hour-glass that recorded the house points next day they thought it was a mistake. Then the story leaked out: Hiccup Haddock, the famous Hiccup Haddock, their hero of two Dragon Race matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first-years.

Thanks to Snotlout instead of being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Hiccup was suddenly the most hated. It wasn't just the Gryffindors that hated him, the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs had turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everyone he meet shoved him in purpose and called him "Hiccup the Useless" or Hiccup the Screw-up". Even worse the Slytherin clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks, Useless, we owe you one!"

Astrid and Ragnar were not having a fun time either. Astrid's brothers didn't talk to her and when they did they said "she shamed their family". Ragnar barely talked anymore and kept his head down as he worked in silence.

He worked double hard at Dragon Racing practice, despite the rest of the team not talking to him and called him "the Seeker" when they do. Toothless was the only one apart from Astrid and Ragnar that was still friendly to him.

On the other side of the mountain Hiccup was spending time with Toothless. He did want to anywhere near the academy.

Toothless would tell that Hiccup was upset and nuzzled him.

"I'm fine, bud," Hiccup lied, but Toothless didn't believe him and did everything he could to cheer him up.

"You shouldn't blame yourself," said a familiar voice behind him.

He didn't need to turn around to know it was Astrid.

"Why not? Who else is there to blame?" said Hiccup notlooking at her.

"Uh, Snotlout," said Astrid as she sat next to him.

"Was it Snotlout's idea to go to Gobber's place at night?"

"Yeah, we didn't talk you out of it."

"Well, I'm not meddling with anything that doesn't concern me anymore."

"I'm impressed that your taking this well," said Astrid, as Toothless popped his head in-between the two of them. "I feel like I want to scream."

The truth was that getting beaten up and being insulted wasn't anything strange to Hiccup, since Olaf and his gang had done that for most of his life.

"Guess that's the price of being famous," said Hiccup, as he rubbed Toothless' head, "you make one mistake and no one lets you forget."

"They will. Double and Trouble have lost loads of point," said Astrid, as she too rubbed Toothless' head.

"They never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though," said Hiccup miserably.

It was at that point that Astrid decided to leave knowing that he wanted to be alone.

It was at that point Hiccup was glad that the exams weren't far away. All the revision he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Astrid and Ragnar kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn defensive moves, memorise the dates of dragon discoveries and dwarf rebellions…

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Hiccup heard somebody whimpering from a classroom just ahead of him. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell the Quivering's voice.

"No—no—not again, please—"

It sounded as though someone threatening him. Hiccup moved closer.

"All right—all right—" he heard Quirrell sob.

Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom, straightening his weird helmet. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry. He strode out of sight; Hiccup didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him.

Part of Hiccup wanted to leave and have nothing to do with what just happened, but curiosity won over and he entered the room. He looked in it, but saw not one. All the same, he'd gambled twelve Philosopher's Stones that Grabbit had just left the room, and from what Hiccup had just heard; Grabbit had just made Quirrell crack.

He ran back to the library, where Ragnar was testing Astrid on Astronomy. Hiccup told them what he'd heard.

"Grabbit's done it, then!" said Astrid. "If Quirrell's told him how to get past his obstacle—"

"There's still Rover, though," said Ragnar.

"Maybe Grabbit's found out how to get past him without asking Gobber," said Astrid, looking up at thousands of books surrounding them. "There could be a book here, telling you how to get past something like Rover. So what do we do, Hiccup?"

"Nothing," said Hiccup bluntly.

"_What_!" they said.

"We've got into enough trouble."

"We could at least tell Heyral," Ragnar suggested.

"You've got no _proof_!" said Hiccup. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Grabbit only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Hallowe'en and that he was nowhere near the third floor—who do you think they'll believe, him or us? It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Heyral'll think we made it up to get him sacked. Mildew wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Grabbit, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think. And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Rover. That'll take a lot of explaining."

Ragnar didn't like it, but he nodded in agreement. Astrid on the other hand wasn't giving up so easily.

"If we just do a bit of poking around—"

"No," said Hiccup flatly, "we've done enough poking around."

Astrid didn't look pleased; she huffed, took her stuff and walked off grumbling about not take things seriously.

"She's taking it very well," said Ragnar, before pulling out a map of Jupiter to learn the names of its moons.

* * *

The following morning, notes were delivered to Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

_Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mildew outside the Great Hall._

_Phlegma the Fierce_

Hiccup was expecting this, but he didn't complain, nor did the other two, because they knew they deserved what they got.

At eleven o'clock that night they went outside and met up with Mildew and Snotlout, who was complaining. He'd been complaining about getting detention for days and it was getting every tiring.

"Follow me," said Mildew, lighting a lamp and leading them towards the other side of the mountain. Mildew noticed that the three of them weren't complaining. "At least some of you know that you deserve this." He then gestured his staff to Snotlout. "This one hasn't stopped complaining since he got here."

"He's only getting started," said Astrid.

"What are we doing out here anyway?" Snotlout asked. "Cleaning the Dragon Stables?"

"Hardly," said Mildew. "Though you are on the right lines, oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time that detention was hanging by your thumps in the dungeons. By Odin I miss the screaming."

"You don't get out much do you?" said Hiccup.

"Watch it me, or you'll feel the rough end of my staff."

They soon reached the entrance to Raven's Point, where they saw Bucket and Mulch standing there, waiting. Their dragons were standing next to them, Mulch's Monstrous Nightmare, Blazewing and Bucket's Deadly Nadder, Firefly.

"You'll be serving detention with Bucket and Mulch tonight," said Mildew, with an evil grin. "They have a little job to do in Raven's Point."

When they got there they saw that Bucket was shaking like a leaf.

"Pull yourself together man, you're going into Raven's Point after all," barked Mildew. "You need your wits about you."

"Raven's Point!" Snotlout yelled. "Are you kidding? Students aren't allowed and there are—werewolves."

"There are a lot more than werewolves out there, boy," said Mildew.

"All right, Mildew, you've had your fun, now hop it," said Mulch.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning," said Mildew, as he walked away, "I expect," he added nastily.

Mulch then looked at Hiccup.

"You look a lot like your mother," said Mulch. Hiccup looked up at Mulch suddenly. "Yes, I knew here. When she was here at Berk she would often sneak into the forest at night to look at dragons."

Hiccup couldn't believe what he just heard; his mother would go into the forest without fear.

"Boy, Hiccup you're mum was brave," said Astrid, looking impressed.

"More like foolish," Snotlout muttered.

"Right, boys and girl, let's go," said Mulch, as he picked up a lamp in his hook.

He and Bucket then lead them into the forest.

"Don't worry Astrid, I'm here if you're scared," said Snotlout, walking next to Astrid.

"I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear that," said Astrid, rolling her eyes.

"You know you can hold my hand if you want to."

"Sure, Snotlout."

Snotlout closed his eye and reached out his hand to hold it. They moment he did he put on a dreamy face.

"Hmm, just as soft as I thought it would me," said Snotlout in a dream voice.

Hiccup then tapped his shoulder and pointed in front of him. Snotlout looked at where he was pointing and saw that he was holding Firefly's tail. He immediately let go and Blazewing shoved him forwards.

Half an hour later, they stopped at puddle that contained sliver liquid. Mulch bent down and stuck his fingers in it.

"Uh, Mulch what's that?" Hiccup asked.

"What we're here for," said Mulch, and showed the four of them the sliver liquid on his fingers. "See that? That's unicorn blood that is." The four of them looked at each other not liking what was coming next. "Bucket and I found one dead last Wednesday. Now… this one has been hurt badly by something. So, it's are job… to go find the poor beast."

"But I thought unicorns are as hard to kill like dragons?" said Ragnar.

"They are," said Mulch, "and nothing in this forest could, not even a Speed Stinger."

"Excuse me, but what are we supposed to do WHEN WE FIND IT!" Snotlout yelled.

"You could man up, you're a Viking for Thor sake," said Mulch, shaking his head. "We'll split into two parties and follow the trail in different directions."

"I want to go with Bucket," said Snotlout quickly, looking at Bucket's muscles.

"Fine, but I warn you, he's as smart as a sack of potatoes," said Mulch. Upon hearing this Snotlout wasn't as excited with being with Bucket than before. "Hiccup you go with and that leaves Astrid and Ragnar with me."

"Why do I have to be stuck with Useless? Why can't I go with Astrid?" Snotlout demanded.

"Because, one I don't want you to get distracted and two, Hiccup is the only one who can put with your whining," said Mulch firmly.

Bucket then land Hiccup and Snotlout in one direction, with Firefly following close behind, while Mulch lead Astrid and Ragnar in the other direction, with Blazewing behind them.

As they walked Snotlout was still complaining about being here again.

"I can't believe that the academy is making us do this," Snotlout complained, "This is servant stuff. I thought we'd be writing lines."

"It's your fault we've even here, Snotlout," Hiccup reminded.

"At least I showed the academy for what you are," said Snotlout, "a useless, weak, cowardly, waste of space."

"Not the first time I've been called that," said Hiccup.

"Oh, I hope we find flowers," said Bucket, "I could make a daisy chain."

"What's the matter with this big lug?" said Snotlout.

"Didn't you know," said Hiccup, "Bucket was fighting against Drago Bludvist forces and took a hit to the head. He's never been the same since."

Upon hearing Drago Bludvist's name Snotlout quivered, but he quickly put himself together.

"And they put him in charge of looking after us."

"If I didn't know better, Snotlout, I say you were scared."

"Your right you don't know better."

They soon reached a small cover, it was beautiful. There was a small pond that shown in the moon light, tree roots stuck out like branches out of the rocks and Hiccup felt safe like this place was protecting him.

However, that feeling soon disappeared, because a head of them was a dead unicorn. Under normal circumstances Hiccup would have been drawn to it, but tonight he felt anything but. They saw a hooded figure drinking its blood like a vampire.

They probably wouldn't have been noticed if Snotlout hadn't screamed and bolted.

The hooded figure looked up and saw that it wasn't alone; Hiccup could see unicorn blood was dripping down from its front. Bucket and Firefly charged at it, but two boulders came out of nowhere and slammed into, knocking them out cold. It then looked at Hiccup, who wasn't able to move with fear, and came swiftly towards him.

Then a pain pierced his head like he'd never felt before, it as though his scar was on fire. The pain was nothing like he felt; the only time that it felt anything close to this was when he saw Grabbit for the first time at the sorting ceremony. He could barely see or speak and he was too afraid to reach his sword.

The pain in Hiccup's head was so bad he fell to knees. He saw the hooded figure getting closer and closer to, he'd never felt so scared in his life and he had a feeling he was about to die.

The hooded figure was about to strike, but then an arrow shot out from nowhere, it narrowly missed. Hiccup looked up and saw standing on a rock was a tall hooded figure holding a bow in his hand.

"That was a warning shot," said the hooded figure, as he placed an arrow onto his bow. "Leave and never come back."

The hooded figure then disappeared in a gust of wind and the pain in Hiccup's forehead disappeared.

"Are you all right?" said the hooded figure, helping Hiccup to his feet.

"Yes… thank you, but who are you?"

"My name is Firenze," he said, as he removed his hood.

He looked like a human, but he had pointed ears. He had white-blond hair and astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires.

"You're an elf," said Hiccup.

"Indeed, but I am a wood elf," said Firenze.

Hiccup knew what he was talking about; Ragnar said there were different species of elf. Like dark elves that Quirrell talked about in their Combat Arts classes.

Firenze looked carefully at Hiccup, his eyes lingering on the scar which stood out, livid, on Hiccup's forehead.

"You're Valka the Gentle's son, Hiccup Haddock," he said, he then looked at him sadly. "You look a lot like her."

"Wait, you knew by mother?"

"Yes, I had the honour of knowing her. She was very kind to all creatures no matter what they were," said Firenze sadly. "A true loss to your world."

"Firenze!" a voice barked.

Hiccup looked up and saw two more elves, the first one looked like the oldest with red hair and the other one was taller with black hair and looked a bit meaner; he was the one that spoke before.

"What are you doing? Talking to a human! Have you no shame!"

"Bane, this is Valka the Gentle's son, Hiccup Haddock, and I just saved him from the monster that killed that unicorn," said Firenze.

The other elf walked over to the dead unicorn and looked at it sadly.

"Always the innocent are first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

"Uh… what do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

"It has nothing to do with you human?" Bane barked.

"I'm afraid it does, Bane," said the red elf.

"But, Ronan—"

"He should at least know what attacked him tonight," said Ronan.

Hiccup then remembered that Bucket and Firefly were still out cold.

"Two of my company got hit by that thing," said Hiccup pointing at the unconscious Bucket and Firefly, "and another one ran away screaming."

"That most have been the screaming girl we heard a few moments ago," said Bane.

"Actually… she's a boy," said Hiccup rubbing the back of his head.

"Never mind that," said Ronan, as walked up to Bucket and Firefly. "Firenze, enlighten our little friend of what's happened tonight while be and Bane see to these two."

Firenze nodded and looked at Hiccup. "Firstly do you know what unicorn blood is used for, Hiccup Haddock?"

"No," said Hiccup.

"Well, it's a terrible crime to slay a unicorn. Drinking its blood will keep you live even if you're an inch from death, but at a terrible price. For you have slain something so pure and defenceless to save yourself for the moment the blood touches your lips, you'll have a half-life, a cursed life."

Hiccup then looked at the dead unicorn lying near the pond.

"But who'd be that desperate? If you're going to be cursed for ever, death's better, isn't it?" said Hiccup aloud.

"Can you think of no one?"

Hiccup looked at Firenze and he remembered what Gobber had told him at the Leaky Cauldron. 'An old friend once told me that never count someone dead until you see their body right in front of your eyes'.

"Wait, you mean that thing that killed the unicorn that was drink its blood," Hiccup croaked, "that was Drago Bludvist."

"What what's worse that monster killed the unicorn in the most sacred in all of Berk," said Firenze gesturing at the cove.

"What's so sacred about this… cove?" said Hiccup.

"This is the Cove, where you ancestor, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock I, first trained his dragon, a Night Fury." Hiccup gasped and Firenze nodded. "Yes, like the one you now ride. Of course, back then there were a lot more of them, not as common, but still very rare. In fact this is where your mother found that Night Fury of yours."

Hiccup looked around the Cove, but couldn't help but feel sad about the unicorn.

"Why would we do this?" he said.

"Do you know what is hidden in the Berk at this very moment, Mr Haddock?"

"The Philosopher's Stone," Hiccup gasped.

Before Hiccup could say anything else a voice was heard.

"Hiccup! Hiccup, are you all right?"

Astrid was running towards them, with the others following close by.

"I'm fine," said Hiccup, hardly knowing what he was saying. "But something killed the unicorn and took Bucket and Firefly out cold."

"They'll be fine Mulch," said Ronan, as he got up. "They are quite tough."

He then looked at Firenze and Bane.

"It is time that we leave," said Ronan, and walked out of the Cove with Bane following close behind.

"Good luck, Hiccup Haddock," said Firenze, as he lifted his hood over his head. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by wood elves. I hope this is one of those times."

He then turned and followed Ronan and Bane, disappearing into the night.

* * *

When they were back at the Gryffindor common room, Hiccup told him what Firenze had told him.

"You mean the Dragon Lord is out there right now in Raven's Point," said Ragnar.

"Yes, but he's weak, he's living off the unicorns," said Hiccup, looking at the fireplace. "We had it seriously wrong. Grabbit doesn't want the Stone for himself; he wants it for Drago… with the Elixir of Life he'll be at his full power."

"You don't think he'll… you know kill you," said Astrid in a worried tone.

"If Firenze hadn't saved me, he would have," said Hiccup sitting down in an armchair. "He took Bucket and Firefly down easy; I don't want to see him when he's at full strength. The wood elves know something is coming and from sounds of it nothing good."

"Wood elves are known for being adept at soothsaying, even though it's not an imprecise branch of magic, and it world known that they can understand dragons a lot more than we humans," said Ragnar.

"At least you know a bit more about your family," said Astrid, trying to look on the bright side.

"Not a lot of good it does me if Drago comes back."

"Hiccup, you're forgetting that the Heyral the Wise is the one person that the Dragon Lord fears," Ragnar reminded. "As long as he's around, the Dragon Lord won't touch you."

Hiccup looked at the fireplace, he wasn't sure what this all meant, but he was sure that his life had gotten a lot more dangerous.


	16. Through the Trapdoor

In years to come, Hiccup could never understand how he got through his exams when he half expected Drago Bludvist to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by and there could no doubt Rover was still online behind the locked door.

It was swelteringly hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Flitwick the Charmer called them one by one into his class to see them preform a powerful bit of Core Magic. Phlegma the Fierce watched them turn a mouse into a snuff-box—points were given for how pretty the snuff-box was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Grabbit made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness Potion.

Hiccup found it hard to ignore the pain in his forehead which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the Raven's Point. Fishlegs thought Hiccup had a bad case of exam nerves because Hiccup couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Hiccup kept being woken by his old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.

Astrid and Ragnar weren't as worried about the Stone like Hiccup was, but they hadn't seen what he saw. The idea of Drago Bludvist certainly scared Ragnar, but Astrid didn't show any fear what so ever, thought Hiccup thought that she was scared deep inside and kept it well hidden. Also they were so busy with their revision they didn't have much time to fret about what Grabbit or anyone else might be up to.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about great Vikings that trained with the most fearsome dragons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Binns the Boring told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Hiccup couldn't help cheering with the rest.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be," said Ragnar, as they joined the crowds flocking out into the sunny grounds. "I didn't have to learn about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfic the Eager."

"Good for you," said Astrid.

Hiccup and Astrid didn't much enjoy when Ragnar went through the exam paper after they did it, but they didn't like to mention it to him, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree and Toothless joined them. The Hofferson twins and Lock Jordson were throwing raw fish into the lake where some wild Scauldrons and Seashockers.

"No more revision," Astrid sighed, a she stroked Toothless' back. "You could look more cheerful, Hiccup, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

"Would you be cheerful if your parent's murder was out there in Raven's Point?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup, we've been through this," said Ragnar.

"It's just my scar keeps hurting ever since he left Raven's Point," said Hiccup rubbing his forehead. "I just wish I knew what this _means_!"

"Go to Flora," Astrid suggested.

"I'm not ill," said Hiccup. "I think it's a warning… it means danger's coming…"

"Hiccup, relax, Ragnar's right, the Stone's safe as long as Heyral the Wise's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Grabbit found out how to get past Rover. He nearly had his leg ripped off once; he's not going to try it again in a hurry."

"Yeah, the chances of Gobber letting Heyral are as good as Snotlout and Astrid—"

"Don't go there," said Astrid glaring and Ragnar remained quiet. She then looked back at Hiccup. "Hiccup, I'm sure it's just the exams. I woke up last night and was half way studying defensive moves to deal with a Deadly Nadder before I remembered we'd done that one."

"But Toothless senses something as well, don't you bud?" said Hiccup, looking at Toothless.

Toothless just roared in an agreement.

"Listen I know that Gobber would never tell anyone how to get past Rover, but—" He stopped and realised something.

"What's the matter now?" said Astrid getting annoyed.

Hiccup got up and ran towards Gobber's place.

"Hiccup, where are you going?" Ragnar asked, as he, Astrid and Toothless followed him.

"Don't you think it's a bit old," said Hiccup, as they dashed towards Gobber's forge, "that a strange turns up with one of the rarest magical gems in the world in his pocket and found a Master Forger, like Gobber. What the chances of that? Why didn't I see it before?"

"How many people ride a Night Fury?" said Astrid, but Hiccup ignored her and they soon reached Gobber's forge.

They found Gobber hammering away; he stopped when he saw them.

"Hullo," he said smiling. "Finished yer exams?"

"Yes, and we can't tell how relieved we are," said Astrid, but Hiccup cut across her.

"Never mind that, I've got to ask you something, Gobber. You know that night you won the Fire Gem? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," said Gobber casually, "he had a visor on his helmet and never took it off."

He saw the three of them looked stunned, even Toothless gave him a fun look, and raised his eyeborws.

"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head—that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a trader, mightn' he? They go off to far off places and trade good with other people, in fact I know this one—"

"Gobber, what did you talk to him about? Did you mention Berk at all?"

"Mighta come up," said Gobber, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah… he asked what I did, an' I told him I was the Master Forger here… he asked what I build… so I told him… and then I can't remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks… Let's see… yeah, then he said he had a Fire Gem an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted… but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want anyone to get hurt… So I told him, after building Rover, looking after a Fire Gem would be easy…"

"And did he—did he seem interested in Rover?" Hiccup asked, trying to remain calm.

"Well, of course he was interested in Rover. How many people build a giant three head robot dog even if you were in the trade," said Gobber. "I told him like any forger I put an Achilles heel in everything I build. Take Rover fer example, play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep."

The three of them looked at each other with horror.

"I shouldn't have told you that," said Gobber. Then the three of ran off, leaving Toothless behind. "Hey, where're yeh going?"

They didn't speak to each other until they entered the Great Hall.

"We've got to go to Heyral," said Hiccup. Gobber told that stranger how to get past Rover and it was either Grabbit or Drago Bludvist wearing that visor—it must've been easy, once he'd got Gobber drunk."

"Good plan, but we don't know where he stays," Ragnar pointed out.

"We'll just have to—" Hiccup began, but a voice suddenly rang from the entrance to the Grand Staircase.

"What are you three doing?" It was Phlegma the Fierce, looking down at them.

"We want to see Heyral the Wise," said Astrid, rather bravely, Hiccup and Ragnar thought.

"See Heyral the Wise?" Phlegma repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"

"It's complained," said Hiccup.

"Well, I'm afraid that Heyral left ten minutes ago," said Phlegma, coldly. "He received an urgent Terrible Terror from the Ministry of Magic and flew off on his dragon to London at once."

"He's _gone_?" said Hiccup frantically.

"Yes, 'he's _gone_' and may I ask what's more important than the Ministry of Magic, Mr Haddock?"

Hiccup decided that he'd better tell her the truth. "It's about the Philosopher's Stone."

Whatever Phlegma had expected, it wasn't that. She stared at them, like they had grown an extra head or something.

"How do you know—?" she spluttered.

"We believe that someone is trying to steal it."

"I don't know how on Midgard you know about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

"But ma'am—"

"Hiccup, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. "I suggested you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

They just stood there not moving.

"It's tonight," said Hiccup, once he was sure Phlegma was out of earshot. "Grabbit's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's knows everything he needs to know and I bet my Invisibility Cape that he was the one that sent that note to Heyral."

"Good afternoon," he said a voice behind them.

The three of them looked around and saw Grabbit standing behind them.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd twisted smile.

"We were—" Hiccup began, not knowing on what to say.

"You want to be more careful," said Grabbit. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can they?"

They turned to go back outside, but Grabbit called them back.

"Be warned, Haddock—any more night-time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."

When they got outside, they saw Toothless, who wasn't looking very happy at the three of them, was standing around the stone steps.

"Sorry, bud," said Hiccup, as he patted Toothless on the head, "I had something to do and I still do."

"Guess we can say goodbye to the Stone," said Ragnar.

"No, I'm going to go to the third floor tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."

"WHAT!?" Astrid and Ragnar Shouted.

"You can't," said Ragnar.

"You'll get expelled!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Hiccup shouted. "If I don't try Drago will be back at full strength! I lost my family to him and I'm not letting anyone else feel the same way I did. Right now getting expelled isn't important! Win the House Cup isn't important! But what is important is stopping Grabbit before he gives the Stone to Drago!"

"But you could get killed!" said Ragnar.

"I'm a Viking it's an occupational hazard."

"I'm guessing we're going to use the Invisibility Cape?" said Astrid.

"Yes—wait, what?"

"You think you're doing this alone?" said Ragnar.

"You guys don't have to this," said Hiccup.

"How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us?"

Toothless then nuzzled up to Hiccup.

"What?! Not you too," said Hiccup.

"Well, a Night Fury would come in very handy," said Astrid.

"But, we can't get him in the castle, it's against academy rules," Hiccup reminded.

"We could open one of the windows on the third-floor," Ragnar suggested.

Hiccup looked at the four of them and sighed.

"I can't talk you guys out of it, can I?" said Hiccup.

Astrid and Ragnar nodded.

* * *

Later that night, Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar crept out of their dormitory carrying the Invisibility Cape and their weapons in their arms.

They were about to go through the portrait hole when they heard a voice behind them.

"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room.

They looked around and saw Fishlegs sitting in an armchair.

"Nothing, Fishlegs, nothing," said Hiccup, hurriedly putting the Cape behind his back.

Fishlegs stared at their guilty faces.

"You're going out again," he said.

Hiccup knew they couldn't afford to waste time any more time, Grabbit might even now be playing Rover to sleep.

"You can't go out," said Fishlegs, "You'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," said Hiccup, "this is important."

But Fishlegs was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.

"I won't let you do it," he said, putting his fists up. "I'll—I'll fight you!"

"Fishlegs, I'm sorry about this," said Astrid, and pulled her axe out.

Before anyone knew it she shot a lightning bolt at Fishlegs, which knocked him out cold.

"I gave him small charge; he'll be out for hours," said Astrid.

Hiccup and Ragnar stared at her and then back at each other. It was then they knew not to get on Astrid's bad sad.

"Sorry, Legs," said Ragnar, as he walked out the portrait hole.

"It's for your own good," said Hiccup, following Ragnar.

"I'll make it up to you," said Astrid, following Hiccup and Ragner out of the portrait hole.

Somehow the three of them were able to fit under the Cape and they slowly made their way to the third floor. They were doing fine until they came across Peeves, who was floating around the staircase to the third floor.

"Who's there?" he asked suddenly as they climbed towards him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

Hiccup then got an idea.

"Peeves," he said, doing his best Bloody Viking impression, "the Bloody Viking has his own reasons for being invisible."

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr Viking, sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake—I didn't see you—of course I didn't, you're invisible—"

"Just leave, I have business here," croaked Hiccup. "And I better not see you here again tonight."

"I'll stay away, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, sir, I'll not bother you."

And he scooted off.

"I didn't know you could do impressions," said Astrid staring.

"It's handy to get away from my cousin when I'm hiding from him," said Hiccup.

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor.

"Okay I'll go and let Toothless in," said Hiccup, as he removed himself from the Cape, "you two stand guard."

Hiccup then entered one of the nearby classrooms. Astrid and Ragnar then noticed the door was already ajar.

"Hiccup was right," said Ragnar quietly. "Grabbit's already got past Rover."

Then Hiccup exited out of the classroom with Toothless behind him.

"I see Grabbit's has already past Rover," said Hiccup, noticing the ajar door.

Hiccup couldn't see them, but he guessed where they were and looked at them.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the Cape, Toothless and I won't need it now."

"I'm not turning my back on my friend," said Ragnar.

"And if you think you can scare me out of doing this, you've got another thing come," said Astrid.

They then removed the Cape and followed Hiccup and Toothless into the room. As they did a, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the robotic dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction. When it saw them it growled at them and was about to attack.

Before it did, Hiccup pulled out Gobber's flute and began to blow it. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the robot's eyes began to droop. Hiccup hardly drew breath. Slowly, the robots growls ceased—it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

"Look at this," said Ragnar picking up a harp. "Grabbit's must have left it there."

"Keep playing," Astrid warned Hiccup as they crept towards the trapdoor. They could feel the robot's hot, oily breath as they approached the giant heads.

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Astrid, peering over the robot's back. "I'll do first."

Astrid then carefully stepped over the robot's legs. She bent down and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"Can you see anything?" Ragnar asked.

"I didn't see a thing," said Astrid. "There's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."

Hiccup, who was still playing the flute, waved at Astrid to get his attention and pointed at himself.

"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Astrid. Hiccup nodded. "I that case you better give the flute to Ragnar so he can keep him asleep."

Hiccup handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silences, the robot dog growled and twitched, but the moment Ragnar began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.

Hiccup climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. Astrid was quite right, you couldn't see the bottom.

Before he jumped, Astrid grabbed his arm.

"You know I don't mind going first," she said.

"I know, but I'm the one who got you into this, I might as well be the one that goes first," said Hiccup, and he lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the stables and send Sharpshot to Heyral, right?"

"Got it," said Astrid.

Hiccup then let go. Now after being on Toothless, Hiccup was no longer afraid of falling, it was the landing he was afraid of.

He landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the dark. He wasn't sure, but it felt as though he was on some kind of plant.

"Hiccup! Are you all right?!" Astrid's voice cried out.

"I'm fine!" he called up. "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Astrid followed straight away. He landed sprawled next to Hiccup.

"What do you think this stuff is?" she asked.

"Dunno, but at least were not dead. Ragnar! Toothless! Come one down!"

The music stopped and they heard a loud bark from the robot dog above, but Ragnar and Toothless had already jumped. They landed on Hiccup's other side.

"We must be miles under the mountain," he said.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, then," said Astrid.

Hiccup then saw something move.

"Uh, Toothless can you give us some light?" Hiccup asked.

Toothless fired a plasma blast into the air. The quick flash reviled what he feared, the planet was moving. It seemed to have retreated a bit from Toothless' plasma blast, but when the light vanished it attacked them.

Before they could grab their weapons, the planet warped around them prevent them from moving, it even warped around Toothless' mouth to prevent him from firing anymore plasma blasts.

"What is this stuff?!" Astrid yelled trying to get free."

"Stop moving!" Ragnar ordered. "It's a nasty planet called Hel's Snare!"

"Then what do you suggest we do!" Astrid demanded, trying to stop the plant curling around his neck.

"I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Ragnar

"Well, think faster, it's getting hard to breathe," Hiccup gasped, trying to free himself.

"Hel's Snare, Hel's Snare… What did Flora say? It likes the dark and the damp. A fire could help, but we don't have any wood!"

"Oh, for the love of—I've got it," said Hiccup.

Next second he set himself a light and the planet loosened its grip on them as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies and they were able to pull free.

"Good thing you pay attention in Herbology, Rag," said Hiccup as they climbed onto the damp wall.

"Yeah," said Astrid, "and lucky Hiccup doesn't lose his head in a crisis."

Hiccup couldn't help, but blush at Astrid's words. He then noticed a stone passageway which was the only way on.

"This way," he said, and led them down the passageway.

All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. Hiccup had created a fireball in the palm of his hand so they could see where they were going. Toothless then pricked his head up like he could sense something.

"Do you sense something, bud?" Hiccup asked.

"He's not the only one," Astrid said. "I can hear something."

Hiccup listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.

"It sounds like wings beating," said Ragnar."

"There's a light ahead," said Hiccup, "and I can see something moving."

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. Hiccup was right, something was moving around. They looked like small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy, wooden door.

"I've got a feeling that those things will attack us if we cross the room," said Astrid.

"I have the same feeling," said Hiccup, "but we won't reach the stop standing here. I'll go and you three cover me."

They nodded and pulled out their weapons, Toothless on the other hand didn't show any sigh that he was going to help, which didn't make Hiccup feel any better.

Hiccup took a deep breath, pulled his sword out and sprinted across the room. He expected them to attack, but they didn't move an inch. He reached the door with ease and pulled on the handle, but it was locked.

After seeing there was no threat, Astrid, Ragnar and Toothless joined him. The three human pulled on the door, but it wouldn't budge, Toothless fired a plasma blast at it, but nothing happened, Astrid even tried kicking it open only ending up with an injured leg.

"Any ideas on how to get this door open?" said Astrid, as she rubbed her saw leg.

"Wait… those ain't birds, they're keys," said Ragnar.

Hiccup looked up and looked at the birds soaring overheard, glittering. He then realised that Ragnar was right they were indeed keys, but with wings made of solid light.

"How's that possible?" said Astrid.

"Flitwick told me that a person with aura Core Magic can create solid aura forms," Ragnar explained.

"Guess I'll have to right Toothless up there," said Hiccup, as he got onto Toothless' back.

"But there are _hundreds_ of them," said Ragnar. "It could take years."

Astrid examined the lock on the door.

"We're looking for a big old-fashioned one—probably silver, like the handle."

Hiccup looked up, he had a knack for spotting things other people didn't, he wasn't the youngest Seeker in a century for nothing. He noticed a large silver key that had one of its blue wings bent, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.

"That one!" he called to the others. "The one with the broken wing."

He then looked down at Toothless, who was raring to go.

"Let's do this, bud," he said.

Toothless then took off and they began to case after the key, but the moment they were off the ground the keys attacked them.

"This complicate things a bit," said Ragnar.

Somehow Hiccup and Toothless managed to give chase to blue winged key. It wasn't easy with the keys flying around trying to make them crash. Toothless fired several plasma blasts scaring some of them off, but more kept on attacking.

They soon managed to exit the swarm and Hiccup managed grabbed the blue winged key. They then flew down with the other keys chasing after them and soar over Astrid and Ragnar.

"Watch it!" he yelled, throwing the key to them.

Astrid caught it and began to get the door open. Hiccup and Toothless had to fly around trying to stay ahead of the swarm as they tried to open the door, but finally they got the door open and ran into the next chamber. Hiccup and Toothless flew in after them and they quickly shut the door. They heard a lot of banging against the door as the swarm of keys slammed into it.

"You all right, bud?" Hiccup asked breathless, getting off of Toothless.

Toothless looked a bit breathless as well, but he nodded.

They looked around the chamber, but it was so dark they couldn't see a thing. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to revel an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessdragons, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces.

"Looks like we've got to play across the room," said Astrid.

She was right; behind the white pieces they could see another door.

"Okay, but how to we play?" Ragnar asked.

"Well, if this is a battlefield I guess we have to take part in it."

She then walked over the chieftess and put her hand out to touch the dragon. At once, the stone sprang to life. The Deadly Nadder looked at her.

"Do we—uh—have to join you to get across?"

The Deadly Nadder nodded. Astrid turned to the other two.

"Listen guys, not to offended you, but since I'm better at Viking chess—"

"That you should be in charge?" Hiccup finished

"Just tell us what to do," said Ragnar.

"Okay, Hiccup you and Toothless take the place of elder, and Ragnar you go next to him instead of the fort," said Astrid.

"What about you?" Hiccup asked.

"I'll be the chieftess," said Astrid.

The chessdragons seemed to have been listening, because at those words the chieftess, an elder and a fort turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board leaving three empty squares which Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid and Ragnar took.

"Okay, now what?" Ragnar asked.

"Well, whites go first," said Astrid, "and the game begins."

Next second a white solider moved two squares.

Astrid started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently where she sent them. Hiccup looked at the game careful trying to guess Astrid strategy.

"Hiccup, you and Toothless diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock came from one of their Berserkers was taken. The white chieftess took a large bit out of them and tossed it off the board; where they lay quite still, face down.

"Had to let that happen," said Astrid, looking confident. "Leaves you to free to take that elder, Ragnar, go on."

Every time one of their dragons lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black dragons slumped along the wall. Twice, Astrid only just noticed in time that Hiccup and Ragnar were in danger. She herself darted around the board taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

Hiccup looked at the board noticing the positions on the pieces and realised what Astrid was planning.

"Wait, a minute," he said.

Astrid looked at Hiccup and knew from his face that he knew what she was planning.

"Hiccup, you understand once I make my move the chieftess will take me and then it'll be up to you to check the chief."

"Astrid, no!" Hiccup yelled.

"We'll find another way!" Ragnar yelled.

"Do you want stop Grabbit or not!" Astrid snapped. "Every second we waste gets him closer to the Stone. Hiccup, you know this and I also know you'll do the same thing in my position."

Astrid looked towards the chieftess and took a deep breath. She stepped forward onto the square she wanted to be on.

"Check!" she yelled.

The white chieftess then moved and once she was in position, she hit slammed him with her tail. Astrid was flown off the board.

Hiccup made sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain and he and Toothless moved three spaces to the left towards the white chief.

"Checkmate!" Hiccup yelled.

The Bewilderbeast looked down at him and bowed.

They all run quickly towards Astrid to see if she was all right.

"She's just knocked out," said Ragnar.

"Then we'll leave her here," said Hiccup.

"But—"

"It's what she would have wanted," said Hiccup, with a heavy heart.

In truth he was more worried about her than Ragnar and wanted to stay with her, but he knew if he did she'll never forgive.

He, Ragnar and Toothless walked through the door to the next passageway.

"Okay, Flora must have put that Hel's Snare up, Flitwick must've created those wings on the keys, Phlegma transfigured the chessdragons to make them alive," said Ragnar counting them off his fingers, "so, that leaves Quirrell's obstacle and Grabbit's…"

They had reached another door.

"You ready?" Hiccup whispered.

"As ready as I'm going to be," said Ragnar.

Hiccup pushed the door open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them to hold their noses; poor Toothless had no choice, but to smell the horrible stench. All their eyes were watering and then they saw it, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even large than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump in its head.

"Good thing we don't have to fight that thing," Ragnar whispered, as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs.

"Let's go, I can't breathe," said Hiccup.

Hiccup pulled open the next door, all of them smelling the clean fresh air. They looked an around the chamber, but it wasn't what they expected. There was nothing, but a table with seven bottles standing on it in a line.

"Not what I expected," said Hiccup.

They stepped over the threshold and immediately a purple fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the door way leading onwards. They were trapped.

"I don't think I can absorb these flames," said Hiccup studying the flames.

"Look at this," Ragnar seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Hiccup looked over her shoulder to read it:

_Danger lies before, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Two among out number hold nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tires to hide_

_You will always find some nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once taste them, though different at first sight._

Hiccup and Ragnar looked at each other and they knew from each other faces what this was about.

"Trust Grabbit to set up a logic puzzle instead of a spell," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, Vikings aren't known for their smarts, they'd be stuck in here for ever," said Ragnar.

"And unless we figure this out we'll be to."

"I think we will," said Ragnar. "After all, everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire and one will get us back through the purple."

"Can you solve this puzzle?" Hiccup asked.

"In two shakes of a dragon's tail," said Ragnar.

He then began to read the paper several times. Then he walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to himself and pointed at them.

"Got it," he said at last. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire—towards the Stone."

Hiccup looked at the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough for one of us," he said. He then looked at Ragnar. "Which one will get us back through the purple flames?"

Ragnar pointed at a round bottle at the right end of the line.

"And since Toothless is a dragon he'll pass through the flames with ease," said Ragnar.

"In that case you drink it and get back to get Astrid. Take Toothless with you and you'll fly out of the trapdoor and past Rover—go straight to the stables and send Sharpshot to Heyral, we need him. Meanwhile I'll try and stall Grabbit until you return with Heyral."

"But you might need Toothless more if you're going to fight Grabbit, he might have the Dragon Lord with him."

Toothless nudged Hiccup telling him he wanted to go with him.

"I know, bud," said Hiccup, kneeling down to look at him, "but Ragnar needs you to carry Astrid and to get out of here."

He then looked up at Ragnar, who had his arms cross and he knew that he could talk Hiccup out of it.

"Hiccup, you're a great Viking, you know," he said.

"I'm no way as good as you and Astrid," Hiccup sighed.

"Me! Books! And cleverness!" said Ragnar. "Astrid! Skill! And fearlessness! There are more important things—friendship and bravery and you are the most stubborn person I've ever met."

They both drank there chosen bottles. It felt as though ice was flooding his body.

They then walked up to the flames; both Ragnar and Toothless gave Hiccup on last look.

"Good luck," said Ragnar, before he and Toothless walked through the purple flames.

"Thanks, I may need it," he said and took on big step through the black flames.

He didn't feel the flames at all and saw he was in the last chamber. He looked around and saw that somebody was already there, but it wasn't Grabbit. It wasn't even Drago Bludvist. It was Quirrell the Quivering.


	17. The Man With Two Faces

**I am plan on doing my next Dragon Chronical story after the DVD release to see if I can add any of the deleted scenes from the movie in it. This will mean while I'm waiting I'll be doing the next book.**

* * *

Hiccup couldn't believe his eyes.

"_You!"_ he gasped.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.

"Me," he said calmly. "I thought I'll be seeing you, Haddock, and I must say I'm impressed. Though I doubt you could have made it alone."

"I thought—Gabbit—"

"Not a bad guess," Quirrell laughed and it wasn't usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, he does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering Q-quirell the Q-quivering."

It was then that Hiccup remembered that Quirrell was in Diagon Alley the day Gringotts was broken in to. How could he haven so stupid.

"I still don't understand during the Dragon Racing match against Slytherin, Grabbit tried to kill me."

"No, no, no. _I_ tried to kill you. And believe me if Grabbit's cape hadn't caught fire and broken my eye contact I would have succeed. Even with Grabbit muttering his little counter-curse, trying to save you."

This conversion was getting weirder and weirder by the second.

"Grabbit was trying to _save_ me?"

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. He needn't have bothered, not with Heyral the Wise watching. All he did was make himself unpopular with the other teachers… they thought he was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning. It would seem he wasted his time, when I can kill you here and now."

Quirrell snapped his fingers. Next second, Hiccup found himself trapped in place in some kind of earth doom. It was so tight, Hiccup could reach his sword.

"You were too dangerous to remain alive. Scurrying around the academy at Hallowe'en like that, I thought you saw me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"I take it then that _you_ let the troll in?" said Hiccup, as he tried to break free.

"Indeed, I have a special gift with trolls—you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Grabbit, had already guess what I was planning and ran to the third floor to head me off—and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that blasted three-headed robotic dog didn't even managed to bite Grabbit's leg off properly. Now wait quietly, Haddock. I need to examine this interesting mirror."

It was then that Hiccup realised what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quireel murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Heyral to come up with something like this… but he's in London… I'll be far away by the time he gets back…"

Hiccup had to keep Quirrell talking to stop him from concentrating on the Mirror and to stall him until Heyral returns.

"I don't understand how did you get the key without a dragon to reach it?" Hiccup asked.

"With a little wind magic you may not know this, but a powerful Viking or Valkyrie can use more than on branch of Core Magic," said Quirrell, as he walked around them Mirror to look at the back. "Heyral himself is able to use five branched of Core Magic."

"That still doesn't answer the question why you don't have a dragon."

"Oh, dragons won't trust me anymore," said Quirrell sadly. "Shame you left your Night Fury behind, he could have helped you."

"Oh, I've got enough Vikingness to deal with you," said Hiccup, trying to sound confident. Quirrell, unsurprisingly, didn't seem impressed. "I find it funny that you're all brave now. You looked so nervous in Raven's Point when Grabbit asked about 'your little obstacle'."

"Oh, you heard that, did you?" said Quirrell idly, as he came back from behind the Mirror. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to fighten me—as though he could, when I had the great Drago Bludvist on my side…"

He then looked at the Mirror hungrily.

"I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it?"

"Things not going as planned?" Hiccup smirked.

"You'll lose that smile when I figure this out!" Quirrell snapped.

Hiccup did everything he could to free himself, but the earth doom was too thick. He decided the best thing he could do was keep Quirrell's attention away from the mirror.

"I still don't understand way Grabbit hates me so much."

"I'm surprised that oaf Gobber didn't tell you," said Quirrell casually. "Oh, yes. Your father and Grabbit went to Berk at the same time, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you _dead_."

"Then how come a few days ago I heard you, sobering?" Hiccup asked. "At first I thought Grabbit was threatening you…"

That did something. Hiccup could see a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.

"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions—he is a great Viking and I am weak—"

"You don't mean to tell me that he was in the classroom with you?" Hiccup asked.

"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "After I left Berk I wandered around the world, trying to find him, to get him to teach me more. I wanted to be the man that found the Dragon Lord and succeed. He showed me that there is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it. On that day served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has been very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me… decided he would have to keep a close watch on me…"

"Looks like he going to punish you again," Hiccup said, noticing Quirrell's frustrated face.

Quirrell ignored him and stared angrily at the Mirror.

"I don't understand… is the Stone _inside_ the Mirror? Should I break it?"

Hiccup knew the Mirror would show people their hearts desire and wondered if he looked into he'll be able to find the Stone. Unfortunately Hiccup was stuck tight in the earth doom he couldn't get in front of the glass.

"What does the mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

And to Hiccup's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.

"Use the boy…"

Quirrell rounded on Hiccup.

"Come here, Haddock!"

He clapped his hands once and the earth doom that surrounded Hiccup disappeared.

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the Mirror and tell me what you see."

It was the last thing that Hiccup wanted to do, but he had no choice. He walked up to the Mirror, Quirrell stayed behind him and the funny thing was that Hiccup could smell something weird coming from his strange helmet.

When he looked into the Mirror he only saw his reflection in it. His reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into his fur vest pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. it winked and put the Stone back in its pocket—and as it did so, Hiccup felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow—incredibly—_he'd got the Stone_.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"

Hiccup screwed up his courage.

"I-I see myself shaking hands with Heyral the Wise," he invented. "I-I've won th-the House Cup from Gryffindor."

Quirrell cursed again. He pushed Hiccup aside and studied the Mirror again. It was then Hiccup decided to make a break for it.

But he hadn't walked five paces before a deep booming voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.

"He lies…"

"Haddock, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you see?"

The deep booming voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to him…face to face…"

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough…for this…"

Hiccup didn't know where this voice was coming from, but every bone in his body wanted to run. For some reason his legs didn't listen to his brain and he was forced to watch Quirrell remove his strange helmet. His head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.

What Hiccup saw next was both disgusting and disturbing. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Hiccup had ever seen. It had a thick long black beard which Hiccup thought was Quirrell's back hair, glaring red eyes and scars all over its face.

"Hiccup Haddock…" it whispered.

Hiccup didn't had to guess who this was. "Drago Bludvist!" he gasped.

"In the flesh… sorta speak," the face said. "I have to say, you're… father could die of shame if he saw you now."

"That's rich coming from you," said Hiccup, before he could stop himself.

But the face just chuckled. "True, thanks to you I've become a mere shadow and vapour… I have form only when I can share another's body like mere parasite… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds… Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the Cove… and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

Hiccup then pulled out his sword ready to fight.

"Don't be a fool, lad," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me… or you'll meet the same end as your parents… They died begging me for mercy…"

"You know what the advantages of being a bad lie are?" said Hiccup, not lowering his sword. "I can tell when someone is lying."

Quirrell was walking backwards at him, so that Drago could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.

"Just as brave as your parents it could seem," it said, with a chuckle. "I value you bravery… your father was defiantly that, I thought with him many times, but the day I killed him he was unprepared… but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you… Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."

Hiccup then pulled the Stone out of his vest pocket, at first Drago thought he was going to give it to him, but then he yelled out, "You want it? Come and get it!"

He then threw it into the air. Drago ordered Quirrell to catch it, but before he could Hiccup blasted the Stone with a fireball, destroying it.

Drago glared at him and yelled to Quirrell, "KILL HIM!"

Quirrell didn't waste a second to pounce on him, making him drop his sword, and began to strangle him. However, when Hiccup placed his hand on Quirrell's two things happened. First was a needle-sharp pain seared across Hiccup's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two. Second was the sudden realise of Quirrell's hand. When he let go of him the pain in Hiccup's head lessened, he looked around and saw Quirrell clutching his hand as it crumbled away into dust.

"What is this magic?!" Quirrell yelled in pain.

"Fool, kill him!" Drago yelled, not caring that his host was in pain.

Quirrell charged at him, but Hiccup, on instinct, placed his hands on his face. The effect was instant, all three of them yelled in pain as Quirrell's face began to crumble and then everything began to go black, but before he passed out he heard other voices, maybe in Hiccup's own head, crying, "Hiccup! Hiccup!" and then he fell and everything turned black.

* * *

When he woke up he found himself in Healing Centre and saw that Heyral the Wise was sitting in a chair next to him.

"Good afternoon, Hiccup" said Heyral.

It took a while for Hiccup what happened before he passed out. "Sir! It's Quirrell! He and—"

"Calm yourself, Hiccup, you've been out cold for days," said Heyral.

"But sir—"

"Hiccup, please relax, or Flora will have me thrown out," said Heyral calm. "She herself said if a normal person should have died."

"I'll take it a complement," said Hiccup, making Heyral laugh.

He then noticed that next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the sweet-shop.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Heyral beaming.

"_Admirers_?" said a confused Hiccup.

"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole academy knows. I believe your friends Misters Double and Trouble Hofferson tried to sneak Toothless in. no doubt they thought it would cheek you up. Flora, however, opened the large box where dear Toothless was hiding and sent him back to sender."

"So, Astrid, Ragnar and Toothless are all right?"

"There fine. In fact they'll be glad to see you have come around after being here for three days."

"I've been out for three days!" Hiccup gasped.

"Indeed, and I must say I too was quite worried about you."

Hiccup then remembered what happened to the Stone and feared what Heyral would say.

"Sir, about the Stone—"

"Gobber was quite right when he said you like to get straight to the point," said Heyral chuckling. "Don't worry by boy I know that you destroyed the Stone and I must say it was quite wise of you."

"It was?" said Hiccup blankly.

"Oh yes, better destroyed then in the hands of either Quirrell or his master."

"But that means that you're friend Flamel—"

"Oh, you know about Flamel?" said Heyral, sounding quite delighted. "You _did_ do the properly, didn't you? Well, Flamel and I have had a little chat and he agreed that you did the proper thing."

"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"

"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die." Hiccup looked at Heyral with a guilty face. "They don't blame you, Hiccup. In fact to the, it'll be going to bed after a very, _very_ long day. After all, we Viking do not fear death, but think of it as the next great adventure.

It made Hiccup feel a little better about destroying the Stone, but he still felt a twinge of guilt in the back of his mind.

"Sir?" said Hiccup. "I've been thinking… Sir—even if the Stone's gone, Dra—… I mean, the Dragon Lord—"

"Call him Drago, Hiccup. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Yes, sir. Well, Drago's going to try other ways of coming back isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so, Hiccup. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, you have delayed him and that is victory for us."

Hiccup nodded, but he still had hundreds of questions in his head.

"Sir, there are something that I would like to know," he said.

"And I will answer them if able," said Heyral. "I can't tell you everything, for the truth is both beautiful and terrible. There are some answers that you'll have to wait for."

"Drago said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him killing me. But I don't understand why he wanted to kill me in the first place?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot answer that question. You're not yet ready to hear the truth, but rest a shared I will tell you when you're older."

Hiccup wasn't happy, but decided to hit him with the next question.

"Okay, but why Quirrell began to crumble to dust when I touch him?"

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Drago cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign for you see in all Core Magic love is the most powerful and your mother's love runs through your veins. Quirrell, full of hate, greed and ambition, sharing his soul with Drago, could not touch you for this reason."

Hiccup didn't know what to say, but only let a tear roll off his cheek. It took a while for him to find his voice again, Hiccup said, "And it was you how sent my Invisibility Cap wasn't it?"

Heyral chuckled and said, "Very well guessed, Hiccup."

"Well the word '_wisely_' was a bit of a clue."

"True," said Heyral. "Stoick left it to me and I thought you might like it. Useful things… I can't tell you how many times he used to spy on your mother." He then smiled at him. "Did you know that I was planning on making him Headmaster of Berk?"

Hiccup shook his head.

"He was very skilled and a great leader. Every time he and Drago fought it led the battle to a stale mate."

After hearing about his parents over the past year it only made Hiccup sad not meeting them, not talking to them and not feeling their arms around.

"And while we're on the topic about my father, there is something I want to ask…"

"And what should that be?"

"Quirrell said that Grabbit hated my father. Is it true?"

"Well, they rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr Jorgenson. And then, your father did something Grabbit could never forgive."

"What?"

"He saved his life."

"_What_?"

"Yes…" said Heyral dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Grabbit couldn't bear being in your father's debt… I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father quits. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace…"

Hiccup couldn't really understand it, so he didn't try to.

"And sir, there's one more thing…"

"Just the one?"

"Well, for now," said Hiccup, making Heyral chuckle. "How did I get the Stone out of the Mirror?"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. You see, only one who wanted to _find_ the Stone, but not use it would be able to get it. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something."

He then got up and was ready to leave.

"I believe that enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets," he said. He was about to leave, but stopped when he noticed a box of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. "Ah, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit-flavoured one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them, but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then chocked and said, "Alas! Earwax!"

* * *

A few hours passed and Flora walked up to Hiccup.

"You've got two more visitors," she said.

"Who are they?" he asked, but he had a good idea.

Then Astrid and Ragnar came in.

"You have five minutes _only_," Flora said. "And be gentle with him, he's still recovering."

Once she left the room, Astrid and Ragnar ran up to him. The first thing that Astrid did was punch him hard in the shoulder.

"That's was for scaring us," she said, giving them that same glare she gave when he rescued her from the troll.

"What? Is it always going to be like this? Because—" he didn't finish because Astrid kissed him on the cheek. They both looked at each other blushing, "I could get use it."

"I wouldn't hit him anymore," Ragnar advised, "Or Flora will throw us out."

"So, what's been going on?" said Hiccup, rubbing his shoulder.

"Well, everyone has been talking about you," said Astrid. "In a nice way."

It was of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumours. Hiccup told them everything: Quirrell; the Mirror; the Stone and Drago. Astrid and Ragnar were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places and when, Hiccup told them what was under Quirrell's helmet, Astrid looked like she was going to throw up.

"So the Stone's gone?" said Ragnar finally.

"Yeah, and surprisingly Flamel's not angry at me," said Hiccup.

"Guess after living for over six hundred years life gets boring," said Astrid.

"So what happened to you two?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, I got back all right," said Ragnar. "I brought Astrid round—that took a while—and we were dashing up to the stables to contact Heyral when we met him in the Great Hall. He already knew—he just said, 'Hiccup's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"I still can't believe that he had your father's Cape," said Astrid.

"From the way he talked it sound as though he knew what we were up to the entire time," said Ragnar.

"I guess he wanted me to meet Drago face to face. I really don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the Mirror worked," said Hiccup thoughtfully.

"He's defiantly not an easy guy to understand," said Astrid proudly. "I hope you show up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course. We didn't have a Seeker to replace you in the last Dragon Racing match; we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you—but the food will be good."

At that moment, Flora entered the room.

"I'm afraid you two will have to leave, you've had nearly fifteen minutes," she said firmly.

* * *

After a good night's sleep, Hiccup felt nearly back to normal.

"Is it all right for me to go to the feast?" he asked Flora as she straightened his many sweet-boxes.

"Heyral says you are allowed to go," she said smiling. "Oh, and you've got another visitor."

"Oh, who is it?" Hiccup asked.

Gobber sidled through the door as he spoke. It wasn't easy for him to reach his bed, but he finally managed it. He sat down next to Hiccup.

"It's my fault that you're in here!" he grumbled. "I can't believe I told that man how ter get past Rover! If yer father was alive he's kill me! All fer a Fire Gem! I'll never drink again!"

"Don't beat yourself up Gobber," said Hiccup, trying to calm him down. "He'd find out somehow, this is Drago Bludvist we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."

"I suppose yer right, but that's no excuse fer my actions," said Gobber. "An' don't say the name!"

"What DRAGO BLUDVIST!" Hiccup bellowed, and Gobber just stared at him. "I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Gobber, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads…"

Gobber just smiled at him and said, "You sound just like your mother." Hiccup couldn't help, but smile back. "And that reminds me. I've got yeh a present. Heyral gave me a bit of time off yesterday ter fix it."

He then pulled out a handsome, leather-covered book. Hiccup opened it curiously. It was full of Viking photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father standing behind their dragons Cloudjumper and Skullcrusher.

"Sent some Terrors off ter all yer parents' old adacmeny friends, askin' fer photos… knew yeh didn't have any… D'yeh like it?"

Hiccup looked at photo album and then back at Gobber.

"I don't have the words."

* * *

Hiccup was soon able to leave the Healing Centre and the moment he did, he was run over by Toothless, who licked furiously.

"Aw—Toothless, come on!" he yelled, as he tried to free himself from the dragon.

When Toothless finally stopped licking him, Hiccup looked at him and gave him a hug.

"I miss you too, bud."

After taking Toothless back to the stable, Hiccup made his way to the Great Hall. It was decked out in Slytherin colours of green and sliver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin Hideous Zippleback covered the wall behind the High Table.

After placing his Viking helmet on his head, Hiccup walked down towards the Gryffindor table. He slipped down between Astrid and Ragnar, who both where wearing Viking helmet as well, and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.

Then Heyral arrived and everyone fell silent.

"Another year has gone!" Heyral said cheerfully. "And now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and tweleve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Hiccup could see Snotlout banging his goblet on the table and looking proud,

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Heyral. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.

"And I have a few last-minute points to award…"

"First—to Miss Astrid Hofferson… for being fearless when faced with a great challenge and the best-played game of Viking chess Berk has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Astrid blushed as her the Hofferson twins patted her on the back and the rest of her house cheered. Sven could be heard telling the other Prefects, "My sister, you know! My only sister! Got past Phlegma the Fierce's giant chess set!"

At last there was silence again.

"Second—to Mr Ragnar Keatson… for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor fifty points."

Ragnar looked embarrassed as he too was patted on the back. Gryffindor up and down the table were beside themselves—they were a hundred points up."

"Third—to Mr Hiccup Haddock…" said Heyral. The room went deadly quiet. "…for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The cheers that came from the Gryffindors were all most deafening.

"We're tied with Slytherin," Ragnar announced. This made the Gryffindor quiet as they all wished that Heyral had gave them one more point.

They were then surprised that Heyral raised his hand again.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Heyral, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up for your friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Fishlegs Ingerman."

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Hiccup, Astrid and Ragnar stood up to yell and cheer as Fishlegs just sat there speechless as he disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. Hiccup noticed that Snotlout looked as though a dragon had just landed on him and that made Hiccup smile with joy.

"Assuming my calculations are correct," Heyral called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "a little change of decoration is in order."

He then waved his prosthetic axe around. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the sliver became gold: the huge Slytherin Hideous Zippelback vanished and a towering Gryffindor Monstrous Nightmare took its place.

Upon seeing this everyone student, apart from the Slytherins, tossed their Viking helmet in the air. Grabbit was shaking Phlegma hand, with a horrible forced smile. He caught Hiccup's eye and Hiccup knew at once that Grabbit's feelings towards him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Hiccup at all. It seemed life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Berk.

One thing was for sure. This would be one evening that Hiccup would never forget and that was counting winning at Dragon Racing or Snoggletog or knocking out a mountain troll.

* * *

Hiccup had forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To his relief he had got very good marks as did Astrid, but neither of them were as close to Ragnar, who came top of the year. Fishlegs didn't do too bad either he got good marks from Herbology, History of Magic and his knowledge about dragons from Combat Arts were almost as good as Ragnar. Even the Thorston twins got good marks, despite blowing up most of the class rooms, people were calling them the new Double and Trouble and the Hofferson twins looked at them proudly. Much to their disappointment Clueless, who thought that a dragon was sheep, might be thrown out, but had passed, too. Ragnar saw Hiccup and Astrid unhappy faces and told them, you couldn't have everything in life.

As they got packed to get ready for the long journey home, notes were handed out to all students, warning them that their riding dragons would remain on Berk and not to use magic over the holidays (I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Double Hofferson sadly). After saying a heartfelt goodbye to Toothless, Hiccup went with the other students back to the fleet of boats, being led by Gobber, and boarded the Berk Express.

It was long journey back full of talking and laughter as the country-side became greener and tidier; eating Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans as they sped past Muggle towns. Hiccup noticed that the tattoos on their bodies started to disappear as they got farther away from Berk.

They soon arrived at platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. An old Viking guard was standing by the ticket barrier; he let them go through the gate in tows or threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Astrid, "Both of you, I'll send you a Terror."

"Thanks," said Hiccup. "I can't tell you how looking forward I'll be to come round yours."

People jostled them as they moved forwards towards the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Bye, Hiccup!"

"See you, Haddock!"

"Look like your famous again," said Ragnar, grinning at him.

"Not where I'm going," said Hiccup.

He, Astrid and Ragnar passed through the gateway together.

"There he is, mama, there he is look!"

It was Astrid's little brother Ripper, who was pointing at Hiccup.

"Hiccup Haddock!" he squealed. "Look, Mama! I can see—"

"Ripper, stop that."

Mrs Hofferson smiled down at the.

"Busy year?" she asked.

"That would be an understatement," said Hiccup. "Thanks for the fudge and the jumper, Mrs Hofferson."

"Oh, it's the least I could do for the young man who saved my daughter."

"It's wasn't just me," said Hiccup, looking at Ragnar.

"I know and I can't thank both of you enough."

Astrid then elbowed him on the arm and nudged her head forwards. Hiccup looked around and saw what she was getting at. He saw Uncle Magnus walking up, with his Aunt Runa and his cousin Olaf, who was looking terrified at the very sight of Hiccup. No doubt she guessed it was them from the description he gave her.

Uncle Magnus' face was purple-faced, still moustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Hiccup carrying a dragon in a cage in a station full of ordinary people.

"Ready, are you?" he said.

"You must be Hiccup's family!" said Mrs Hofferson.

"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Magnus. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away.

"You weren't joking about them were you?" said Astrid, glaring at their retreating figures.

"I'll be fine," said Hiccup. Both Astrid and Ragnar were confused at the grin that was spreading over his face. "_They_ have no idea that I'm not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have lot of fun with Olaf this summer…"


End file.
